Another Queen in the Deck
by prophet144
Summary: We all have secrets and Clark thought Ollie being the Green Arrow was his biggest. Boy was he wrong! This is an AU story starting in season 6. Ollie's going to be about 26 at the time. Will eventually be Clark/Ollie slash and Tyler/?.
1. Chp 1 Introductions

Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville or anything related to the characters. If I did, someone else might be writing this for me.

Note: This is an AU Story and will be part of a series starting in the 6th season. I couldn't resist and decided to give Oliver Queen a younger brother. This story arc will also end up progressing to slash between Clark and Ollie. Although I've already delved into the Supernatural and NCIS worlds, Smallville is new for me.

Revision Note: I realized after reading through the first 2 chapters again, that I'd made some errors in timeline. So, I went back and fixed it.

_Chp 1 _

Stepping out of the limo and heading over to the private jet that rested on the tarmac, Tyler Queen made his way on board and took a seat. The pilot already knew where they were headed and since it was becoming a familiar route to them, he didn't worry about it as he settled in and closed his eyes. The past few days had been rough in more ways than one, but he was going to see the one person that could help him sort things out.

As the plane started down the runway, he drifted off to sleep, exhaustion claiming him. This, once again, left him open to the dreams that had been haunting him.

4 years ago

_The door of the lecture hall opened and a student handed the professor a note. Minutes later, the man nodded and looked up into the crowd. "Tyler Queen, you're needed in the Dean's office. Immediately."_

_Tyler frowned. He couldn't remember anything he'd done lately to warrant attention from the Dean, but he dutifully gathered his books and made his way out of the lecture hall. Something about the look of sympathy the professor was giving him set off warning bells in his head and caused his heart to speed up. _

_The trip across campus to the Dean's office was made at a jog, but he didn't pause to catch his breath before entering and nodding at the secretary. "I'm Tyler Queen. I was told to report here as soon as possible."_

_Her gaze lingered just a moment too long on the 6' blonde hair brown eyed young man in front of her, then turned to one of sympathy as she let the dean know that he was here while he took a seat to wait._

_Tyler shivered as the Dean came out and he saw the man's face. Something about the way he looked just made him feel cold and empty. He got up and accompanied the man into his office, his heart sinking to his feet when he saw the family's lawyer sitting there. He knew, just like he knew when he'd seen the man come with Oliver into the house 14 years ago, that something horribly wrong had happened. This time though, his older brother was nowhere in sight._

_Walter Reeves had been a lawyer for the Queen family for years, serving several generations, but as he looked at the young man in front of him, he couldn't help but wonder if this was the last Queen he might assist in legal matters. _

_He sighed before he met the youngster's eyes. "Tyler, I'm afraid that I have some bad news." It was hard for him to believe what he was about to say, but considering it had been 3 days and nothing had been found, there was no way he could put off keeping the news out of the papers or away from the youngest Queen any longer. "Oliver's boat didn't make it to his next check in point. We've had several agencies looking, but so far they haven't found anything. As of this morning, it's gone from a search and rescue operation into a recovery operation."_

_Tyler could only stare at the man in shock. There was no way that Ollie was gone. He was just running behind. / He's got a satellite phone, he would have called if that was true./ His inner thoughts started arguing with his heart as he folded to his knees, unable to stand up under the news. _

_It took another week before he finally gave in to the demands of Reeves to have a memorial service for Oliver, but he didn't give up looking for his brother. His heart just wouldn't let him. He also refused to have Oliver legally declared dead, but he did accept Mr. Reeves request that he temporarily assume the position as primary stockholder at Queen Industries. The moment that bit of information hit the presses, Tyler had been in class at Star City University. As soon as he made his exit from the lecture hall, however, he'd been inundated with questions by what appeared to be hundreds of reporters. He turned and ran, unwilling to speak to any of them, his emotions still too raw for him to be willing to expose himself to their questions._

_The day of the memorial service, only a day after his 17th birthday, found Tyler staring at the picture of Ollie that stood in lieu of a casket. Then suddenly, the scene shifted and he found himself several feet away from an open coffin. Slowly, he approached and peered inside only to recoil in horror as a ravaged corpse greeted his eyes. He was trying to make sense of what he was seeing when the corpse sat up, taking on some of Ollie's features and turning to look at him. His heart landed in his throat as he gazed up the grotesqueness that was now his brother's face as where his lips used to be parted and words came out._

"_You left me to die!" Hands reached out for him as he tried to get away, backpedaling quickly to keep out of reach only to find himself backed into a wall. As the hands got closer he started to scream._

The attendant's soft, but insistent voice broke through, and he opened his eyes. He blushed hard as he smiled embarrassingly at her, then thanked her for letting him know they were about to land. He stretched a bit without leaving his seat and took several deep breaths to try and get himself back under control. Stress was the only thing that he could figure making some of the dreams he'd had when Oliver had been missing begin to reoccur. Graduation was a little over a month away, but the semester had been hard. Now he had a week off, so he'd decided to fly to Metropolis to see his brother. The establishment of a division of Queen Industries in Metropolis had been a recent thing, finalized 6 months ago. A month ago, Oliver had flown out to start meeting contacts in the city face-to-face.

As the plane rolled to a stop, he spotted the car he'd requested and after he was cleared to leave, walked across the tarmac to it and climbed in. He hadn't brought any luggage with him except his schoolbag. He might have been on vacation, but there was still a few papers he had to write. Starting the car, he headed to the clock tower, hoping that Oliver was still busy so that he could catch a nap before he surprised his brother.

Luck was with him as he entered the penthouse, quickly entering a set of codes that disabled the alarms that were different from what Ollie usually used and immediately headed for his bedroom, then decided a shower was in order before a nap. He turned the water on before stripping slowly, his muscles still stiff and climbed under the hot spray, closing his eyes as the water cascaded over him and slowly easing away the stiffness.

At that moment, Oliver Queen was making his way up the elevator with a friend of his, Clark Kent, before they set off for lunch. As soon as they left the elevator, Oliver knew that something was off.

For his part, Clark frowned and looked at Oliver. "Last night's date still here? Because your shower is going."

Slowly, Oliver shook his head. "Didn't have one." He moved over to the alarm panel and noticed that it had been turned off and disabled. For a moment, he wondered if he forgot to set it, but quickly dismissed the idea. "Can you tell which shower it is?" The penthouse had three full bathrooms in it, but if Clark could narrow it down, all the better.

"Guest bedroom on the right." Together, they moved in that direction.

Tyler had just finished and turned the water off, wrapping a towel around his waist in lieu of getting dressed just yet and started making his way to the door, only to have it suddenly open and finding himself face-to-face with his brother and a brunette he had yet to meet.

"Um, hi." He ran a hand through his wet hair and grinned. "Bet you're wondering what I'm doing here."

Oliver snorted. "The thought had crossed my mind."

Clark looked at the young man before them and felt his mouth drop open as he recognized the strong family resemblance to Oliver.

"Think your friend there is in a bit of shock."

Turning his head slightly, Oliver looked at Clark, then chuckled softly. "Guess some introductions are in order. Tyler, meet Clark Kent, he helps me out sometimes." He put a slight emphasis on the me, knowing that his brother would catch it. "Clark, I'd like you to meet Tyler Queen, my little brother."


	2. Chp 2 Catching Up

Standard Disclaimer still applies.

Reviews are appreciated.

Chp 2

Clark stood there, staring at the younger Queen for several moments. Then rolled his eyes. "Figures Ollie would have a brother and not say anything about it."

Tyler shrugged. "That's my brother." He cocked his head to the side a bit. "Um, not that I'm unhappy to see you Ollie, but can you two give me a moment? I'll get dressed and explain."

"Oh, you'll explain all right." He turned and walked back out of the room with Clark.

Once they were back in the main room, Clark turned to his friend and raised an eyebrow. "When were you planning on telling me that you have a brother? And did you mean, when you said 'me' like that, that Tyler knows you're the Green Arrow?"

"Clark, we've known each other about a month. You may have already found out my biggest secret, but Tyler's family." He was quiet for a few moments. "Besides, it's not only my decision to make."

"Okay, I'll give you that, but what did you mean by 'me'?"

"He knows what I do at night. You're the first person that's found out about my brother. Least in this manner. Actually, he's helped me come up with a few more devices to use on my nightly patrols. Did the security for the Arrow room as well as the penthouse security."

"Sounds like he's a handy person to have around, especially in your 'extracurricular' activities."

Oliver snorted. "Yeah well, Ty can hold his own, least most of the time." He poured himself a glass of water and took a long drink as he thought about all the different reasons his brother could be here. It wasn't that he was upset that Tyler was here, but his little brother usually called before he made an appearance. Something was bugging the younger Queen for him to show up unannounced.

"So how much older are you?"

Oliver chuckled softly as he turned back to face Clark. "Six years. Sometimes, I wish it was more and sometimes I wish it was less." He shook his head. "Didn't get to see a lot of him growing up after our parents died except during the summer and holidays. Least, not until he hit the 7th grade and then I saw him almost every day. He got skipped a couple of grades so he turned up at Excelsior when I was a sophomore." He grinned again. "Made my life a living hell, that's for sure. Then again, it let me see the kind of person he was becoming."

"Seems like he's doing okay."

"Yeah well, maybe on the surface, but something's bothering Ty for him to show up unannounced."

Tyler took a seat on the bed, the towel still wrapped around his waist, and put his head in his hands, taking note of the tenderness still present in his left wrist. He'd really expected more time to come up with something to tell Oliver and get some rest, but it seemed that the fates were not going to let him have that chance. A soft groan escaped him as he flopped back on the bed. Before he could stop himself, his eyes closed and he started drifting off.

Oliver checked his watch, frowning when Tyler hadn't shown 10 minutes later. "He should have been dressed by now." He set his glass down and started towards the bedroom.

Clark reached out a hand to stop him. "I think he's asleep Oliver. His heartbeat's slowed down a bit from what it was earlier."

"I still need to check on him Clark." He looked at him. "He's my brother."

With a nod, he dropped his hand and let Oliver go by.

He stood at the door and watched his brother for several minutes, mentally cataloging the changes in Tyler since he'd last seen him a month ago. A frowned deepened on his face when he noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the fading bruises on his side. He moved forward slowly and laid a hand on Tyler's forehead, accidentally waking his brother.

Tyler looked up and met the concerned gaze of his brother, leaning slightly into the touch. "I'm okay."

Oliver took a seat on the bed. "Funny, you sure don't look it and you're warm."

"Been a rough couple of weeks."

"Talk to me Ty, tell me what's been going on. Why didn't you call me if things were going bad?"

He sat up slowly, wincing slightly as his stomach muscles protested the move. "Things got a bit rough in my last training session with the school demo team. One of the guys was trying to make an impression on some scouts for the mixed martial arts teams and decided to use me as his punching bag. Guess he didn't think I'd fight back." He stood and went over to the dresser, pulling out clean clothes, opting for more comfortable clothes than anything else, dressing as he talked. "We fought for almost half an hour. Finally, one of the guys on the team realized that it was more than just a friendly training session and grabbed him. Ended up taking 3 of them to keep him off of me."

"How long ago was that?" It worried Oliver that his brother had been through something like this and he was just now finding out about it, especially considering how long his brother had been involved in different forms of martial arts. Personally, he'd never want to piss Tyler off bad enough to get in a physical fight with him. True, he had some experience in that field as well, but he couldn't hold a candle to his brother.

"About 3 weeks ago. I ended up spending a few days in bed under Andrew's dire threats to 'tan my bottom like I was a child again' if I didn't." He walked back over and took a seat beside his brother. "Then it was right back into the thick of things for school. Sleep has started to become a figment of my imagination."

Ollie sighed and slipped an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you something to eat and then you can rest, okay?" As he waited for a reply, he couldn't help but wonder what else had brought his brother to Metropolis because he knew Tyler well enough to know when he was holding something back from him. For now, he'd let it alone, but he would get the rest of the story from him and soon.

Tyler nodded and let Ollie help him get to his feet, leaning slightly into his brother as they walked into the kitchen and found that Clark had been busy while they talked.

"Figured we could have lunch here. That way Tyler can get some rest after we're done."

"Thanks Clark. I still owe you a lunch out." He pulled a chair out for Tyler before taking a seat next to him.

"Looks good, thanks Clark." Tyler put a couple of sandwiches on his plate, but pretty much left the rest of the stuff alone. Eating took energy and he didn't have that much to spare at the moment. A double major with a double minor, finished in about 3 years, along with competing on several of the school teams didn't leave him time for much else, especially around exam time.

Lunch was spent with the two brothers catching up and Clark filling Tyler in on some of the things in his past to help the younger Queen get to know him. It was as easy to talk to the younger Queen brother as it was the elder, but he noticed there were subtle differences in how the information that he imparted was processed. While Ollie had taken it all in by having to swallow a little bit of pride at being found out himself, Tyler was absorbing everything like a sponge and asking questions that actually had Clark pausing before he could answer them.

They ended up calling an end to things as Tyler started falling asleep where he sat. Clark took pity on him and picked him up, carrying him back to the bedroom despite his protests.

"I can walk you know." When he didn't get an answer he sighed and mumbled as Clark laid him in the bed. "Bad as Andrew." He glared at Ollie as he came at him with a glass of water and something cupped in his hands. "Not taking whatever it is you've got."

"Just Tylenol kiddo, I promise. You need to rest and if you're as sore as you look, these will help. Although, I would prefer it if you let me take you to a doctor."

Clark bit back a grin. There had been a couple of times since they met that Oliver had needed a doctor and trying to convince the older man of that had been like pulling teeth. He'd been successful once, but that had been by guilting him in to going. It made Clark wonder if Tyler was just as obstinate as his brother.

Tyler was quiet for several minutes, watching his brother, almost forgetting that Clark was even in the room. It was then that he realized he'd scared Ollie by showing up unannounced looking like he did. Slowly, he nodded his head, taking the pills from his brother and downing them without arguing.

Ollie sat with him as he fell asleep while Clark left to take care of their dishes. When Oliver finally joined him again in the common room, he looked like he was carrying a heavier load.

"If you want, I can check to see if he has any broken bones." He watched as his friend slowly nodded, not talking just yet. Clark moved past him and slowly opened the door to the bedroom and walked in. For a moment, he just stared at the sleeping figure, noticing the slight differences between him and Ollie, then he moved closer. He laid a gentle hand on his forehead, noticing that Oliver had been right earlier about him being a little warm. A quick scan with his X-ray vision showed several small fractures, but nothing serious and almost all of them seemed to be healing. Slowly, he left the room and went back out to tell his brother.

"So what's the damage?"

"Well, you were right about him running a fever. He's also got a few cracked ribs and then he's got a hairline fracture in his left wrist. None of it is really serious, but having a doctor look at his wrist might not be a bad thing."

"I'll wrap it after he gets some sleep and take him in tomorrow to get it looked at." He sighed and sank back into the couch. "Think I'm also going to arrange for him to take his finals from here. He can do with the rest until graduation."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "You really think he's going to let you do that for him?"

Oliver nodded. "Actually, yeah. It wouldn't be the first time and I'll make sure he can still walk at graduation, but he needs to rest. There's no way he'd do that if he was back in Star City. At least I keep my extra activities confined to at night." He pulled something up on his PDA and showed it to Clark. "That's what his schedule for a week looks like."

The room was silent for a moment while Clark read over the list, then looked at Oliver. "Okay, so maybe trying to see if he can take his finals from here isn't such a bad idea after all."

He watched as Clark took a seat. "When I went missing for a while, Tyler took over as controlling shareholder for me. He wasn't even 18. Found out that he'd tried to handle all the duties of Queen Industries and still try to keep up with school. Ended up dropping out 6 weeks after a memorial service was held for me. When I was found and eventually brought back to the States, one of the first things I did was to find Tyler."

When he paused, Clark noticed that unshed tears filled Oliver's eyes. After finding out who the Green Arrow was, Clark had done some research into Ollie's past and knew that he'd been missing for a couple of years. No account was really given about what he'd gone through during that time. Now, Clark was really starting to wonder what all had happened during those two years.

Ollie sighed as he started telling Clark about his reunion with Tyler.

2 Years Ago

_When Ollie had finally made it back to civilization, he took a couple of months to find out exactly what all had been going on while he was gone, especially with Queen Industries and Tyler. He was only slightly surprised to see that it had taken almost 2 weeks for Tyler to give in and have a memorial service, something that Ollie knew his lawyer would have pushed for more than his brother. It was the fact that no declaration had been made to have Oliver declared legally dead that out-right shocked him. He had felt certain that he'd be untangling a lot of paperwork to get himself declared alive again, but after making a couple of calls he had verified that Oliver Queen was still only declared missing. That, more than anything else, prompted him to see his brother before making contact with anyone else. _

_A little more digging had shown him that Tyler had assumed the role of majority shareholder, making him glad once again that he had a codicil in place that would allow Tyler to step in if he was ever indisposed for a length of time. The fact that his brother had dropped out of school shortly after had him realizing a little of how hard this had all been for the younger Queen. _

_So, without waiting any longer, he had headed for Star City, going straight to the office building. When he noticed what time it was, he went straight up to the penthouse. Almost immediately he spotted Tyler staring out over the city, oblivious to anything that was going on around him. He used that time to study his little brother. _

_He could tell immediately that Ty had lost weight and was paler than normal, making him wonder if his brother was sick. Then again, it had taken Tyler almost 3 years to get back to anything resembling normal after their parents had died. His desire for contact with his brother had him overriding his common sense as he laid a hand on Tyler's shoulder, only to find himself instantly on the floor._

_The look on Tyler's face had him sitting up as his brother crashed to his knees and Oliver leaned forward, pulling his brother into a hug as sobs wracked the youngster's body._

"The first month after I got back, Tyler refused to let me out of his sight. It was a battle some nights to get him to go to bed and there were more times than not that I'd wake up and find him standing at the foot of my bed, just watching me. Other nights, I'd find myself running into his room as he woke up screaming."

As if on some sort of weird cue, a terrified scream rent the air, sending Oliver at a run to his brother's room.


	3. Chp 3 Trouble

Disclaimer still stands. Wish I did own anything related.

Thanks to those that have read, but reviews are greatly appreciated. Also, in case you read Chp 1 and 2 on 10-5-08, I ask that you re-read them. I realized that I had made a few timeline areas and fixed them, especially in chapter 2.

Chp 3

_It was a dream, it had to be a dream, but why couldn't he wake up? Something was coming after him. He couldn't see what it was, but he could sense something behind him. He started running, trying to get away and ran into a dead end. Tyler turned, facing whatever was chasing him. When nothing appeared immediately, he started forward, moving cautiously in the dark. Suddenly a hand gripped his shoulder hard, forcing him to his knees. The face he looked up into was covered in a hood, but the smile that sprouted there filled him with dread. The figure holding him started to laugh, sending chills throughout his body as it brought a gun into view._

"_Consider this a down payment for a life in hell." He could hear the trigger being pulled back and as it fired, sending the bullet careening into his body, he started screaming._

Tyler bolted up right in bed, shaking as the images continued to haunt him even awake. His head snapped up as the door opened and Oliver came running into the room. He tried to get up, but his brother forced him back.

"Easy Ty, take it easy." Ollie eased his brother back onto the pillows, able to easily feel the heat coming off of him. He placed the back of his hand on Tyler's forehead, then looked over his shoulder at Clark. "There's a thermometer in my bathroom, mind grabbing it for me?"

"No problem." Clark turned and made his way to the other bedroom. Tyler's scream had almost sent him into a burst of superspeed to find out what was hurting the boy, but he held it back as he watched Ollie run to his brother.

"Feel like crap."

Oliver chuckled slightly. "Yeah well, hate to say it, but you look it too."

"Glad to know I can count on you to sugar coat things." Tyler sighed. "Keep having frickin nightmares and when I wake up, I don't really remember what they're about." He blushed slightly, which was barely discernible under the flush of fever on his cheeks. "Except the one I keep having again about when you were missing."

His arms went around his brother, holding him close and tucking Tyler's chin under his head. "I'm sorry you ever had to go through that."

"Wasn't your fault Ollie." He sighed, relaxing in his brother's hold.

Clark found the thermometer easily enough and grabbed a wet washcloth as well. If the sweat covering Tyler's face was any indication, it might help make him feel a bit better. He grinned slightly. Somehow, he didn't see Ollie letting his brother do too much at the moment. He re-entered Tyler's bedroom and held the thermometer out first. "Thought the washcloth might be useful after you get his temp."

Ollie sat back and took the thermometer from him. "Thanks Clark." He turned to Tyler, glad he'd gotten one of the new ear thermometer since it would give them a quicker reading. "Let's see how hot you really are."

Tyler couldn't help himself. "You're cute Ollie, but I'm so not into incestuous relationships."

Clark hid his grin behind his hand as he watched Oliver's face take on a blue-screened look. He didn't think he'd ever seen the billionaire – CEO – crime fighter so flustered. A chuckle escaped him before he could stop it.

"Laugh it up Clark." Oliver shook his head and put the thermometer in Tyler's ear. When it beeped a few moments later, he frowned at the reading. "I've got half a mind to take you to the hospital tonight." He looked at his brother. "102 bucko." He reached a hand out for the washcloth from Clark and folded it before placing it across Tyler's forehead. "You stay put. I'll be right back." He walked out, taking Clark with him.

"It might just be a virus of some sort." Clark could tell that Ollie was worried.

"Whatever it is, the fever needs to come down." He opened the Arrow room and walked over to one of the side areas. The drawer he opened contained several items and he removed 2 vials, a piece of rubber tubing, alcohol wipes, cotton ball and a syringe. "And I'm going to get a blood sample to find out what's going on. If his temp goes up anymore or it doesn't start coming down, I'd like to have a foot in the door in trying to find out what's going on." He looked at Clark. "Mind doing me a favor and taking the samples to the lab at Queen Industries? I'll give you the form you'll need and it'll also let them know what I need done."

"I don't mind. I'll pick up some more juice while I'm out and a few sports drinks. It'll help keep him hydrated."

Ollie nodded and started back to his brother's room.

Tyler laid back with his eyes closed. The coolness of the cloth easing the slight throbbing that had started to develop. He knew that Ollie wasn't just going to let this go and dreaded a trip to see a doctor even though he'd already agreed to do so. Still didn't mean he had to like it. He looked over at the door as Ollie came back in with Clark and promptly groaned at what he saw in his hands.

"You know, I knew you had a thing for sticking people with things, but I didn't know you'd grown to include me."

Clark chuckled softly and looked at Oliver who just rolled his eyes. "He always this witty? Reminds me of you."

"Keep it up Kent and you'll be sleeping on the floor tonight instead of the other guest room." He turned back to his brother. "I want to get a couple of samples, let our labs work them up and see what's going on. It'll give us a foot in the door when you see the doctor tomorrow."

He stuck his arm out, not feeling up to arguing. "Yeah well, just make sure you don't miss."

Ollie grinned. "Don't worry. I've had a lot of practice sticking things where I want it to go."

Tyler just rolled his eyes, groaning as Clark busted out laughing at the two brothers.

Ollie looked in on Tyler, who was sleeping once again. It'd been hours since his brother had woken, screaming, and sending his heart racing instantly. The past 2 years had been busy, not only for himself, but for Ty. After he'd resumed his position at Queen Industries, he'd convinced Tyler to go back to school. He didn't expect him to throw himself in as hard as he had. His brother had convinced the Dean to let him take 24 credits a semester and 18 during the summer. He was also allowed to test and get credit for the courses he'd dropped towards the end of his first year when Ollie had disappeared. Since then, they only to got to see each other on holidays, which was amazing since they both lived in the same house. He sighed. Maybe he should have stepped in sooner and said something, gotten Ty to slow down a bit. Then again, like him, he didn't think his brother had it in him to quit something once he got started. Shaking his head, he shut the door and made his way back to the living room as Clark came in with some papers in his hand and a backpack.

"Those the test results?"

"Yeah, and an antidote." Clark handed him the papers and backpack.

"Antidote?" He took the papers, frowning. "What the hell?"

"Seems someone's been poisoning your brother. Dr. Douglas, the one you told me to talk to, seems to think it's been going on for a couple of months now. I know you haven't seen him in the past month, but what about before then? Was he acting differently, tiring easier, anything?"

"You've seen what his schedule looks like Clark. We might have been living in the same house, whether it was the main house or the penthouse above the offices in Star City, but we barely saw each other. Last time I really got to spend any time with him was around Christmas. We tried to spend some time together on spring break, but it just didn't work out." He sighed. "We'll talk to him later about it. Right now, I want to get this started so that we can get him through this."

Clark nodded. "He sent all the stuff for an IV and he said to add 100mg of the antidote to all 5 bags of the IV solution. The drip rate is in the paperwork."

Tyler felt someone gently shake him and he struggled up from the depths of sleep. Forcing his eyes open, he found himself looking up into his brother's concerned gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Got the test results back. Seems someone's been poisoning you Ty. Clark brought the antidote back with him from the lab."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He held his arm out to his brother while his thoughts started trying to process who would poison him.

The sun was coming up on the horizon when Clark hung the final IV bag up for Tyler. Oliver had finally crashed about an hour ago and his brother was sleeping peacefully. The fever had broken shortly before Ollie went to sleep. While he wouldn't be back at full health for a few weeks, Tyler was definitely out of the woods. Now all they had to do was find out who was responsible for poisoning the younger Queen and why.


	4. Chp 4 The Mastermind ?

Disclaimer still applies. Adding the story to favs is appreciated, but reviews might just garner you coming attractions.

Chp 4

Star City

Mark Jacobs stared out the window of his office at Aristol World Wide Enterprises. The view showed him the eyesore that was the main headquarters of Queen Industries. Three years ago, he had worked there until he tried to do an end run around Mr. Queen and he didn't mean Oliver. No, the Queen that he was talking was Tyler. Tyler Jonas Queen. Kid had been a thorn in his side since he'd stepped into his brother's shoes at the company.

He'd expected the boy, who'd barely been 17 at the time, to be clueless about the dealings going on at Queen Industries. What he'd found instead was someone who worked with the same principles as Oliver Queen. Tyler might not have had the same amount of experience as his brother, but he was a quick study and knew when to back down or stand his ground on an issue.

Mark had found this out the hard way when he'd tried to encourage talks between Queen Industries and Armen Enterprises. The younger Queen had thrown the file back at him and said no. He'd thought the youngster just needed someone else to explain the finer points of the deal. So, he'd started talks with them himself and found out that he was getting into something that he should have left alone: an ongoing feud between Queen Industries and Luthorcorp. It turned out that Armen Enterprises was a subsidiary of Luthorcorp. A fact, that if he had bothered to do any research on the company, he would have found out. That might have been able to save his job. Then again, probably not.

It had taken months for him to get the head of Armen into the door at Queen Industries even for a sit down. John Ramsey had been heading up Armen at the time and was unsettled by going into the lion's den. A lot of sweet talking had been done on Jacobs' part to get Ramsey into the building. Now, all he had to do was get Mr. Queen to sit in on the meeting and things would be golden. At least, that's what the plan had been.

3 years ago

_Tyler Queen was sitting at his desk as he'd entered the office. He knew that he was smirking slightly, but he couldn't resist. This deal was going to move him up in the corporation, he could feel it. He watched as the younger Queen sat back a bit, eyeing him curiously._

"_Mr. Queen, I was wondering if you had a few minutes that you could spare. I have a potential investor in house and while I'm sure the deal will go through, I believe it would settle some of his lingering doubts if you yourself were to make an appearance." Mark knew that many others in the company worked out deals ahead of time before bringing them to Mr. Queen, or at least, that's what he had thought. _

_Tyler had frowned at him. "What deal exactly are you talking about Mr. Jacobs? I was under the impression that you hadn't found anything yet that would warrant my involvement."_

"_I have already brought the matter to you, sir. The deal with Armen Enterprises that I presented to you several weeks ago."_

_Fear from a mere look was not something that Mark Jacobs had ever really believed in until that moment. The icy cold stare that he was receiving from Tyler Queen was enough to make him take a step back and wonder if what he had been doing was really the best thing._

"_And I already told you that I was not interested in dealing with Armen Enterprises or do you not understand what the word 'no' means, Mr. Jacobs?"_

"_Sir, I thought you were just wanting more details. I assumed that you would not mind if I went ahead with the dealings until the proposal only required a final face-to-face with yourself and Mr. Ramsey."_

_As the younger Queen had stood, Mark knew he'd made a mistake. He'd underestimated the young man before him and he knew, at that moment, that he was going to pay for it dearly. He could only watch in silence as Tyler stepped around his desk and came to stand directly in front of him, his voice low, but holding an air of menace to it he thought the younger Queen incapable of in the worst of situations._

"_Let me assure you Mr. Jacobs, when I say no, I mean it. For those that work for me, it means the matter is closed and new business needs to be sought. Queen Industries will never have anything to do with any business even slightly associated with Luthorcorp and that includes Armen Enterprises. Do you understand me?"_

"_Yes... yes, sir." He felt weak for stammering slightly, but he was so shocked by the demeanor of the man in front of him that he could do no less._

"_Good. Now, you will leave, clean out your desk and turn in everything that belongs or is related to Queen Industries. If you are not gone within the hour, I will have you arrested for trespassing. Do I make myself clear?"_

_He had only nodded, unable to speak._

"_Get out."_

_Mark had left then, only to find two members of security and Mr. Queen's senior consultant waiting for him. He'd felt humiliated as they followed him to his office and watched over everything he placed in a box. They'd taken everything from him, including the keys to the company car he'd been driving. It wasn't in him to argue, however, as they escorted him from the building and watched him get into a cab._

_His reputation had been ruined and he'd had to seek work in New York, working his way back up the ladder until he was once again in a position that he could request where he was located. _

It had taken him almost 3 years to get back to Star City and even then he was still a long way from where he truly wanted to be in the world. There were still people that refused to do business with him because of the influence the Queens had in the city, but he was going to change that. A crooked grin marred his face as he thought about the little plan he had going. Yes, revenge was definitely going to be sweet.

He'd been planning for over 2 years on a way to pay back Tyler Queen for what the boy had done to him, for what he'd cost him. For almost 2 months now, that plan had been put into action. His grin widened as he thought about all the problems that young Mr. Queen had been going through and the best part was, for the past month his older brother had been unaware of what had been going on. Yes, Oliver Queen had returned to once again run Queen Industries, but the younger Queen was still involved in the company. The fact that Oliver had been in Metropolis for a month had made it easier for the plan to go forward.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and he turned towards it as it opened. "What are you doing here Mr. Austin?"

Derek Austin was a student at Star City University. He was also a 'friend' of Tyler Queen and had been instrumental in putting his plan into action.

"I thought you should know that Tyler left yesterday. From what I can gather, he's gone to Metropolis."

Fury spread through Mark Jacobs like wildfire. This could not be happening. The youngest Queen was supposed to stick around since it was so close to finals. Leaving the city and going to visit his brother was not part of the plan at all.

"Is he aware of what is happening to him?"

"No sir. Tyler seems to think it's just the stress of finals coming up along with graduation that's causing him to lose sleep. The only way he'd find out he was being poisoned is if he went to a doctor and knowing his aversion to them, I seriously doubt he will do that. Even after we paid Jake Michaels to work him over during training, Tyler did not see a doctor."

Mark nodded. Involving Michaels had been a crucial step in the process. They had needed to know how the poison was affecting the younger Queen and seeing how it slowed his reactions considerably had let them know that it was working. Eventually, the poison was supposed to drive the boy insane from lack of sleep fueled by a hallucinogenic property that caused violent nightmares. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Tyler Queen still carried a lot of guilt over the time that his brother was missing. It was this guilt that would fuel the nightmares that were sure to plague him.

"Even if he does, a physician is only likely to see it as a virus, not as anything else. None of the blood samples we provided to the local hospital have ever showed the poison as a poison. It would take an actual scientist to realize that what they were seeing was not natural."

Jacobs nodded. "Then as long as Tyler keeps Oliver from taking him to a doctor, we should be fine until I can institute the next phase of our plan." He looked over at Austin. "I need you to remove all evidence of the poison from his dorm room."

Austin paled slightly. "He hasn't been staying at his dorm, sir. The past few weeks he's been driven to and from school from Howard Hill."

"What? And you're just now telling me this?"

"I've still been able to slip him his doses. He practically lives off of coffee and everyone knows that. It's not too hard to hand him a cup when I see him in class, and considering we have several classes together each day, it's rather easy to make sure he gets enough."

Mark nodded. "Fine. Just get rid of the rest of what you have. And make sure that the demo team's doctor has his name down for another 'sample' when he gets back. We need to know how things are progressing."

"Yes sir." With that, Derek left, shutting the door behind him once more.

He watched until the door closed, then turned back out once again to stare in distaste at the dark green spire in front of him. "Soon, very soon, Tyler Queen, and you will be begging me to save your life."

Little did he know that his plans were already being unraveled several states away.


	5. Chp 5 How It Went Downhill

Yeah that disclaimer thing does here.

Thanks for those of you that have reviewed. Like I've said, reviews are rewarded.

Chp 5

Ollie sighed as he let the warm water from the shower cascade over him. Last night had been rough on all of them. Yeah, Tyler probably got the worst end of the deal, but it hadn't been any easier for him to watch his brother suffer through the first 3 bags of the antidote. He bowed his head as he thought upon what had transpired hours earlier.

_Last Night_

_They'd stripped Tyler's shirt from him after it became soaked in sweat. If he hadn't read the rest of the sheets Dr. Douglas had given them, he would have had Clark take his brother straight to the hospital. As it was, Ty's fever had only gone up to 104, well within the limits the doctor had set, but still high enough to scare the living shit out of him. The night had been spent with he and Clark swapping turns sponging Tyler down, trying to get him to drink and cleaning things up when his body rebelled. _

_He was extremely grateful for Clark's help and couldn't help but wonder if things would have turned out the same if his friend hadn't been there. There'd been one time he'd gone to get a new bowl of water and come back to watch Clark as he gently tried to get his brother to take another sip of the sports drink. Hands that he knew could crush metal and bend iron were holding his brother as if he were spun glass too precious to risk dropping. Watching Clark like that sent shivers down his spine and he had to swallow hard before he could finish the trip over to the bed. _

_After he set the bowl down, he started wiping Tyler off again, hoping that this ended for his brother sooner than later. He wondered if it hurt Ty at all, but the kid had been too out of it to make coherent speech possible. All he could do was watch as his little brother rode out the process. It wasn't until around 4am that his fever finally broke, dropping down to 99. Clark had helped him give Ty a slightly warm bath, then redressed him to finish off the fourth bag. _

_Knowing that his brother was out of danger had left him drained and when he was sitting beside Tyler and almost fell forward onto him, Clark had picked him up easily and carried him to his own room. He didn't protest as the farm boy helped him into a pair of sleep pants and into bed, leaving the door open as he left to go back and finish watching over Tyler. It made him realize that he might think of Clark as more than a friend, because someone you just met a month ago wouldn't do stuff like this for you. They just up and left, leaving you to take care of the mess alone. He drifted off to sleep before he could think on it anymore._

When he woke up, sunlight had been streaming into his window and a quick glance at the clock showed it to be well past noon. He groaned slightly and forced himself to get out of bed. As he was exiting the bathroom, Clark came in and grinned at him.

"Thought I heard you moving around. Since you slept through breakfast, thought you might be up for some lunch."

He nodded. "I could eat. Just want to check on Tyler first." Walking over to his brother's room, he noticed that Clark had pulled the blinds and curtains tight, keeping it slightly dark, nodding he sighed. "Thanks Clark. I appreciate you staying with him after I crashed." He watched the head bob slightly before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. It was natural for him to reach out a hand and touch Tyler's forehead, verifying that the fever was gone. What bothered him was how still he was as he slept. Like himself, Tyler was almost never still, even in sleep.

"He's exhausted Ollie. Didn't even move when I took the IV out earlier or picked him up to change the sheets under him." Clark walked over and put a hand on Oliver's shoulder, talking as if he'd read Ollie's thoughts. "Rest is the best thing for him right now, especially if this has been going on for 2 months."

Ollie nodded and got up, exiting the room with Clark, but leaving the door open. "We need to find out who did this to him."

"We will, but we need to be able to talk to him first. Find out what all he's been doing, where he's been going, who he's been hanging around with or who's in his classes. Right now, you need to eat. I called your secretary and explained to her that Tyler had shown up and then gotten food poisoning last night. She said she'd clear your schedule for the rest of the week."

His eyes snapped to Clark's, almost losing himself in the brilliant blue-green orbs. When the hell had he started noticing Clark's eyes? He sighed. "I appreciate that. And you're right, we need to wait on Tyler to start doing much of anything when it comes to finding out who did this." He took a seat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and made himself a plate from what Clark had sitting up there. "So what are your plans for the day?"

Clark shrugged. "Hadn't really thought about it. I have to go home at some point, get the chores done, but after that I'll probably stop by and talk to Chloe." He looked over at Oliver as he made himself a plate and took a seat as well. "Mind if I tell her about Tyler? I know you said yesterday that it wasn't entirely your decision to make, but I think she might be able to help us get a list of people in his classes."

Oliver thought about it for several minutes as he slowly ate, then nodded. "Yeah, you can tell her about him. Just not Lois. I want him to get some rest before she gets any ideas about coming over here and demanding to know more from me or him." If he was honest with himself, he was starting to think that he shouldn't have ever started dating Lois. She was fun to be with, to a point, but he couldn't really see himself with her long term. Knowing Lois, as soon as she learned about Tyler, she'd be all over them both wanting to know more.

After they'd finished eating, Clark cleaned up and went back to the farm so he could do chores before going to talk to Chloe. Ollie heated up a small bowl of soup and carried it into Tyler's bedroom. As much as he wanted his brother to get some rest, the kid needed to eat. He set the bowl down on the bedside table and gently shook his brother's shoulder. "Come on Ty, need you wake up for me."

Slowly, Tyler fought his way out of sleep. It was hard, but he found that he was hardly ever able to deny his brother's call. Luckily, the same held true for Ollie when Ty called to him through the depths of sleep. He turned his head towards Ollie's voice and slowly opened his eyes. Sluggishly, he brought a hand up to gently rub them before letting it flop back to the bed. "Hey." His voice was scratchy and he still felt drained, but he was awake.

The grin that lit his face was full of relief. His brother might not be in the best of shape right now, but at least he was awake, sorta. "Need to eat something bucko." He helped him sit up a bit, propping pillows behind him so Tyler could lean against them.

Ty snorted. "Don't think I've got enough energy to lift a spoon, much less keep it steady."

"I'll help, but you need to try and eat something. Okay?"

He got a nod in return and slid a hand towel over his brother's chest to catch any drips. "It's just soup. Didn't think you'd be up to anything else just yet."

When half the small bowl was gone Tyler sighed. "No more Ollie. I try to eat anything else and I'm going to hurl."

Ollie chuckled slightly as he set the bowl aside and removed the towel from his brother's chest. "All right, no more, for now." He watched his brother silently for a few moments. "I need you to talk to me kiddo. What all has been going on the past couple of months? And don't try to play it off. I talked to Rosalyn and she says you've been missing days coming home." Rosalyn was the lady who kept up the penthouse apartment in Star City and had doted countless times on both of them. She was also very willing to rat one out to the other when she felt they weren't taking care of themselves.

Tyler blushed slightly. "I've stayed at the dorms a couple of times when the demo team or gymnastics squad got back from a road trip late. Andrew always comes to the swim meets and Rosalyn always comes to the archery events, so I end up going back home with them. When I have to drive myself or ride with the team, it's easier to stay in the dorms."

"Well, that explains the missing days, but what all has been going on?"

He sighed and was quiet for a moment before starting to spill the events of the past couple of months to his brother, unable to keep the truth from him.

_2 months ago_

_His Advanced Applications in Applied Engineering Theory professor held him back after class and seemed almost embarrassed to talk to him._

"_Tyler, you're paper was incomplete. I had to give you a D on it, but I'm willing to give you a chance to finish it and bring the grade up to a low B."_

_He stared at the man in shock as he looked at the paper, then realized that several pages were indeed missing. "I sent you all 32 pages Mr. Jennings." Setting his backpack on the desk, he pulled his laptop out and pulled up his email account, showing the sent paper and how many pages were included in it, silently thanking Ollie for instilling in him the need to send himself a copy of every paper. "I don't know what happened to it between the time it got printed and you graded it."_

_Jennings had frowned at him, then nodded. "All right Tyler, send it to me again at this address." He handed the young man a slip of paper with a different email on it. "I'll grade it as a fresh turn in. I'm going to speak to the Dean about this as well. He should know if someone is going around tampering with student files."_

_Tyler nodded in relief. "Thank you, sir." He put his laptop away and left as he broke into a jog so he wouldn't be late for gymnastics practice. Luck was against him that day as he got to the gym, after running into Derek Austin, the guy he shared a dorm room with sometimes, in the quad. His coach made him do an extra 5 miles and that didn't even count the handstands, walkovers, round offs and punch fronts he had to do as punishment for being late. By the time practice was over, he could barely walk straight, much less think about driving back home. With a sigh, he made his way over to his dorm and up to his room, placing an order for delivery he took a hot shower and then settled in to wait for the food to arrive and start on his homework._

_It puzzled him as to why Professor Jennings had not received his entire paper the first time around, but he was willing to chalk it up to a computer glitch. _

_He was working on an advanced calculus paper when the door to the room opened and Derek walked in. "Hey man, didn't expect you to be here."_

_Ty snorted. "Long day and I didn't feel like driving home. I've got pizza coming."_

_Derek nodded. "Thanks, but I've already eaten. I'm going to go shoot some hoops with the guys, want to come?"_

"_No way man, I've got 2 tests tomorrow and my calc paper is due Friday."_

"_Just remember all work and no play makes Queen a dull boy." He grinned at him as he headed back out._

_When the pizza finally came, Ty tipped the guy well and absently ate a few slices as he worked. For the next two weeks, he spent most of his time in class, at practice or studying. It seemed that he lived on fast food and coffee. Those times he made it home, especially on the weekends, he'd work on papers and try to sleep. The only problem was that the more he seemed to try to get some sleep, the less he was actually getting. He was even starting to miss seeing his brother, who he kept missing for one reason or another._

_Tyler had found out about Ollie going to Metropolis through Rosalyn as he stopped by the penthouse for a change of clothes. He managed about 10 minutes with his brother before Oliver had to leave. The next week, things started going downhill even faster._

_In class, he was finding it hard to stay focused. He thought it was from being tired and started drinking coffee more frequently. Some cups he bought, and others were given to him by his fellow students. It seemed the closer they got to the finals break, the more the teachers tried to thrust upon them. It was all he could do sometimes to climb into bed for a couple of hours only to have to turn around and get right back up again. _

_Then the demo team had their final practice before the year end demonstration and try outs for next year's members. Tyler was assigned to work with Jake Michaels, who had transferred in at the beginning of the year and won a place on the team through a round robin fight. They took their places and bowed to each other. As soon as he started fighting, Tyler knew something was wrong. For some reason, his thoughts about what to do weren't connecting to his body. Slowly, it seemed his mind caught up, but by that time Jake had already managed to bruise a few ribs. When he tried to call it and walk away, Michaels had grown violent, tossing him to the mat and landing a heel kick to his wrist followed by an elbow drop to his ribs. That was when the others finally realized that something was going on and pulled Jake away. _

_Andrew had been watching the practice and insisted that if Tyler wasn't going to see a doctor, which he knew the blonde would refuse as hard as his brother, then he was coming home to the main house. For three days, it was all he could do to get up and drag himself to the bathroom. After that, he was able to move a bit easier, but the lingering aches in his side and wrist prevented him from finishing out the season as an active participant on any of the teams. That fact more than any other had prompted Andrew to take his keys from him and start driving him to and from school each day._

_By the time finals break came, he was awake more than he even thought about sleeping. Every time his eyes closed, he'd find himself trapped in a nightmare, each one seeming to be rougher than the last. It had been a split second decision to go to Metropolis, but he knew that if anyone could help him, Oliver could. And if Oliver was in Metropolis, then that was where he was going to be as well._

"I knew that I was getting more tired, but I thought it was just everything finally catching up to me."

Oliver shook his head. "You should have seen a doctor back in Star City, Ty. What if your wrist is really messed up?" He knew that it wasn't, but since he and Clark still hadn't told Tyler about Clark's abilities, he had to leave that out.

Tyler blushed slightly. "I didn't think it was important. Besides, I've bounced back from this kind of stuff a lot quicker other times. Just thought it was me being so tired that was keeping everything sore."

"Yeah well, don't think you're getting out of that bed anytime soon. Should be glad that Clark was here to help out as well."

"I am, trust me." He tried to fight off a yawn.

"Get some rest. I'll wake you later to eat some dinner. Think you could try something a bit more solid or do you want to stick with soup?"

He let Ollie help him get settled again in the bed. "Stick with the soup for tonight. Maybe tomorrow my stomach will be more settled for something else."

"All right, sleep now." He pressed a gentle kiss to his brother's forehead as he watched him drift off easily into sleep.

If it wasn't for the fact that they had test results to prove it, Oliver would have believed that all the stress finally caught up to his brother and he caught some kind of virus that zapped him hard. Tyler, however, was right when he'd said that he'd bounced back from other injuries quicker. With years spent in the martial arts, swimming and gymnastics then time with Oliver learning archery and yoga, both he and Tyler were pretty healthy. Tyler hardly ever got sick and when he did, he was over it in a few days. Bruises barely phased him 95 percent of the time and for the rest of the time, they only made his activities uncomfortable. For Andrew to actually force his brother to bed, even for a few days and take his keys away meant that things had been rougher than Tyler had made them sound.

He stood up slowly and made his way from the room. With Clark off to do chores then talk to Chloe and Tyler sleeping again, Oliver had the time to make a few phone calls of his own. He wanted to find out from someone else just how bad the nightmares Tyler had been having were and when they'd gotten worse. Currently, there were only 3 people that could tell him that and he intended on calling them all. Taking a seat at his desk, he got to work, keeping and ear out for both Clark's return and his brother needing him.


	6. Chp 6 Digging

Don't own anything related. Wish to hell I did. For those interested, iTunes still has the pilot ep for Aquaman starring our boy Justin. It's a 1.99.

Thanks for the reviews and the hits. Both are appreciated deeply. Kind words mean so much to someone who's still honing their craft.

This one is kinda short, but I had to leave it where it was at. Sorry.

Chp 6

Smallville

"Are you going to say anything or sit there and stare at me all day?"

Clark Kent had just finished telling his best friend, Chloe Sullivan, about what had happened yesterday, including the part where Oliver has a younger brother, who had been poisoned. Now, she was staring at him in obvious shock.

"Chloe? Are you okay?"

She finally nodded. "Oliver has a brother?" A grin split her face. "Is he cute?"

He sighed. Figures it would be one of the first words out of her mouth. "Was a bit too shocked when I first saw him and worried afterwards to really pay attention Chlo."

A laugh came from her. "Oh, I bet it was a shock to find a mostly naked man in Ollie's guest bathroom."

"Chloe, it wasn't like that." He shook his head. "So are you going to be able to help us or not?"

"Do you have a list of the classes he takes and what teams he is a part of?"

"I didn't bring it with me, but Oliver does. Trust me, it'd be easier for Ollie to give it to you considering Ty is taking 24 credit hours this term."

"Talking about having a masochistic side. Have him email me a copy of Tyler's schedule and I'll get to work on it."

"Soon as I get back to the clock tower, I'll do that."

"So what do you think of his little brother?"

"There wasn't a whole lot of time to really talk to him. Ollie and I got to the penthouse while he was in the shower and we talked a bit over lunch. He's got a quick mind, that's for sure." He grinned slightly. "Actually had me pausing a bit to think about how to answer him without revealing anything just yet."

She frowned at him. "You mean he doesn't know about your powers?"

"Come on Chloe, that's not the way to make a first impression on someone. Besides, I get the feeling he's going to be around for a while so there's plenty of time for him to join the group of secret keepers."

"But you are planning on telling him?"

"You don't think I should?"

"No, I think you absolutely should, especially since Oliver already knows."

"Think I'll give Tyler a few more days to get over what happened before I lay all of this on him. Maybe see if getting rid of the poison helps him stop having the nightmares." He shook his head. "If he was screaming like that after Oliver got back from being missing, Ollie's a stronger person than I gave him credit for."

She went to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Anytime someone we care about is hurting and we stand beside them, it makes us stronger. Sometimes, the more people you have around you during those times, the easier it is for the burden to be carried."

Clark nodded, hugging her back. "I know you're right, but considering what those two have been through, I'm just glad they didn't have to go through it alone."

Metropolis

When Clark got back to the penthouse, it was almost dark outside. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Oliver standing up, slightly bent over his desk, reading something. _Damn, what an ass. _A mirror was not needed to tell him that he was blushing because he could feel the burn on his face. Where the hell had that come from? And it's not like Oliver was available even if he was interested in guys since he was currently dating Lois.

"So I talked to Chloe. She wants you to send her Tyler's schedule and she'll get to work on finding people that are common in his classes and on the teams he belongs to at school."

Oliver looked over his shoulder at him. "I didn't hear you come in." He straightened up and turned to face Clark. "Thanks for asking her for me." He smirked. "How'd she react to finding out I had a brother?"

Clark blushed again. "She asked me if he was cute."

The soft laughter that escaped from Oliver floated gently through the air. "Somehow, I kinda figured that might be her reaction."

"Did you find anything else out?" He took off his jacket and hung it near the door before walking over towards Oliver's desk.

"Tyler told me that he's spent a few nights in the dorms the past couple of months, which explains what Rosalyn said about him missing being at home a few days. Also said that he had a paper he submitted get short paged before his professor graded it. Luckily, I've made Ty a bit anal about sending himself a copy of everything he submits as a back up in case something like that happened." He stretched a bit. "Andrew says that his appetite has been off from what it normally is and that he barely sleeps. Said that the few times he's practically collapsed from exhaustion, he woke up screaming less than an hour later. Rosalyn pretty much said the same thing for the nights that he's spent at the penthouse back in Star City. The only person I haven't been able to get a hold of is his lab partner, but considering that everyone's on finals break, it's understandable."

"So he wasn't eating a lot at home and drinking coffee more than eating at school. What about in the locker rooms? Could he have gotten it there?"

"The archery team doesn't have a locker room and Tyler refuses to leave his bow in the school equipment room. Don't really blame him for that one. The swim team uses the lockers at the pool which is all the way across the campus from where the gymnastics and martial arts demo team change. Of all of them, the archery range is the closest to the dorm he sometimes stays in." He showed Clark the map of the campus as he spoke. When he finished, he quickly sent Chloe a copy of Tyler's schedule via his PDA, then looked back at Clark.

"That means it's more likely that he was given the poison by someone he sees on a more regular basis, like in a lecture or lab."

Ollie nodded. "Considering that some of his classes have over 200 people in them at a time, we're going to have to wait for Chloe before we can go any further today." He tossed the PDA on top of the map, then cocked a hip against the desk. "Are you going to stay for dinner? Ty's only having soup, but I'd prefer something a bit hardier myself."

Clark grinned. "Yeah, soup doesn't sound that great to me either. Do you want to cook or order in? Or I can cook."

"How about we just order in? It'll be easier that way." He tossed a small stack of take out menus onto the desk. "Take your pick."

"Even delivery is hard with you."

Oliver smirked. "Well, wouldn't be worth it if everything was easy."


	7. Chp 7 Leads

Doesn't belong to me. Well, except for Tyler. Anyone who's interested and wants a Tyler pic, let me know and I'll show you what I'm using as my image for him.

Chp 7

Tyler opened his eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the dim lighting in the room. He could hear voices out in the living room and guessed that Clark was still there. That or Ollie was seriously losing it. As he lay there, he thought about everything that had happened yesterday, then groaned. Of all the things he'd planned on telling Ollie, Andrew shuttling him back and forth to school was not one of them. Truthfully, he hadn't wanted his brother to know about the fight, but the bruises that still marred his skin after almost a month made it impossible for him to skirt around it. He snorted, especially when you considered how he'd let Ollie know he was in town yesterday.

Slowly, he forced himself to sit up, hoping that his brother was distracted enough not to hear him moving around. If he was already on his feet by the time Ollie noticed, he wouldn't force him back to bed, least not right away. He'd take the couch if he was going to be forced to be anywhere at the moment.

As soon as he gained his feet, he could feel the laser beams that was his brother's glare directed at him. Standing straight, he didn't flinch as he met Oliver's stare. For several moments, there was silence between the two of them before his brother came over and slid a hand to the small of his back to support him.

"Could have asked for help."

"And you would have tried to get me to stay in bed. I need to move a little Ollie. I'm willing to sit on the couch, just needed out of the bedroom for a bit.

"How about a pit stop first and you can freshen up a bit?" At Tyler's nod, he helped him over to the bathroom, then waited outside the door. Clark had actually heard Ty getting up first and he hated to think about what might have happened if Clark hadn't been there.

When Tyler came back out, he was half tempted to just put him back to bed, but he understood his little brother's need to be involved. He slipped Ty's arm over his shoulder, frowning slightly when his brother jerked his hand away, then remembered the wrist.

"You're wrist okay?"

"Hurts like a sonofabitch right now. Truthfully, it has since Jake landed a blow directly on it. It''d go numb sometimes, but I just kinda ignored it."

"Let's get you to the couch and then I'll wrap it." He started walking toward the living room, his hand once again on his brother's back.

"Might still have that stabilizing brace from when I broke it a couple years ago at that gymnastics meet. If I do, it's in the nightstand."

"I'll check." He settled him on the couch and looked over at Clark. "Don't let him go wandering." Ollie went back into Ty's room and checked the nightstand drawer. Sure enough, the brace was there. He smirked, thinking about his brother had almost been kicked off the team for defying his coach about a move that had led to his breaking his wrist.

_2 years ago_

_The gymnastics meet was just a local one, but Ollie had made the time to come out and watch his little brother. Since he was in good with the coaches, and the school, he'd been able to get a pass to stand on the sidelines while his brother competed. While Tyler wasn't a great gymnast, he did well enough to usually stay in the top 5. Today, he was actually in the lead in the all around, but the team as a whole was in fourth. _

_When he turned from the scoreboard to watch his brother prep for the high bar, he found Ty arguing with his coach about something. The look on the man's face showed he was clearly not happy with something, but eventually gave in to Tyler's demands and nodded. Oliver frowned. Usually, whenever someone looked that way, and his brother was involved, it meant that the younger Queen was about to do something that could be called incredibly daring or incredibly stupid, depending on the outcome. He only hoped that today wasn't one of the stupid times._

_His eyes remained on his brother as he finished his prep work with the bar and went to stand in position. When the judges signaled they were ready, Ty acknowledged them before facing the apparatus. Halfway through his routine, Oliver knew that Tyler was going to do something huge, what exactly he had no idea. He watched as his brother started doing giant swings around the bar, barely pausing in near perfect handstands at the top, slowly the handstands stopped and the swings were used to build up speed. That's when it happened._

_Before Tyler could finish the last swing and release the bar, a retaining wire broke, skewing the bar and causing Tyler to lose his grip and slam hard into the steel support bar. The crack of bone could be heard across the small area as his wrist and upper body contacted the bar, stopping his momentum and sending him crashing the rest of the way to the floor. How Oliver reached him first, he had no clue, but he'd knelt beside his brother's unconscious form while the trainer arrived beside him and started checking Tyler over._

_Four hours later and Tyler's wrist had been casted, his ribs wrapped to help support them and he was looking extremely sheepish as he laid in the bed. The doctors had insisted on keeping him overnight since when he arrived at the hospital he'd still been unconscious. As the last nurse left the two brothers alone, Ty's sheepish expression had disappeared and he'd pouted. When he told Ollie why he looked so disappointed, he couldn't help but laugh. Apparently, to even try the dismount, he'd promised his coach he'd do the team's laundry for the rest of the season and his coach was going to hold him to it even now._

Oliver shook his head, a grin breaking out as he remembered, then sighed. His brother was always into something, but that had been one of the first times that Tyler's actions had truly scared him. Shaking his head, he took the brace back out into the living room.

"Tomorrow, we take you to the doctor and let him take a look at your wrist. If it wasn't the same one you'd broke before, I'd be willing to leave it alone considering how long it's been."

Tyler took the brace from him and started putting it on with practiced ease. "I know, I know. With it being the left one, it's too big a chance to take. I get it." He looked up at his brother, then over at Clark. "Honestly, I'm not all that accident prone, but when I mess up, it's usually pretty big." He hooked a thumb at Ollie. "Just like someone else that I happen to be related to."

"Hey," Ollie stated a little indignantly, "I resemble that remark."

"Yes, yes you do." Ty grinned at Clark. "So how did you find out that my brother was the Green Arrow?" He'd been wondering that since he caught the significance of what Ollie was saying yesterday, but hadn't really been with it enough to ask.

Clark stared at him a moment, caught flat-footed by the younger Queen's question, then decided that if he was going to answer that he might as well let Tyler in on his secret as well.

"Kinda ran into him when he was robbing something."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, the old 'Robin Hood' routine. I take it you didn't approve."

"No, and I kinda caught him flat footed when I stopped his fist, then caught his arrow."

The raised eyebrow of the younger brother was all he got, so Clark kept going.

"I can do a few special things myself."

Ollie snorted. "Yeah, like shoot out lights with his eyes."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Which is how he busted me. We kinda agreed to keep each other's secrets."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to tell anyone."

"I know you won't, that's why I'm telling you. Besides the heat vision, I also have X-ray vision, super speed and super strength." Even Oliver didn't know that he was an alien, but he also knew that right now was not the time to reveal that. Soon, but not just yet.

Tyler blushed slightly. "So um, you can tell if someone has broken bones and stuff?"

"Yeah." He was quiet for a moment. "I've already seen that your wrist is fractured and some of your ribs are cracked."

He nodded and looked over at his brother. "If we know, why do you still want me to go to the doctor?"

Oliver walked over and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Because I want to make sure that it's healing okay and that the poison didn't affect anything. I was planning on taking you to a normal doctor, but since Dr. Douglas at the labs already knows about the poison, we'll go there instead. That way he can run a few tests, make sure the poison's out of your system and if there are going to be any side effects."

"Guess I can't really argue with that." He leaned his head back against the pillows. "So what did you two end up ordering?"

Clark chuckled softly. "You get egg drop soup. You're brother and I got a few dishes to mix and match from that Chinese place around the corner."

Tyler nodded. "They have really good General Tso's chicken." He was quiet for a moment. "So what all have you guys come up with about who might have done this?"

"Besides one of your classmates?"

"Yeah well, there's a few thousand of those running around. And the guys on the teams as well."

"I've already talked to Andrew and Rosalyn, but I can't get a hold of your lab partner, Ray."

He snorted. "Ray got dropped from class. Got caught cheating on the midterm. So the teacher hooked me up with a new lab partner. His name is Derek Austin."

"Isn't he your roommate?"

"Yeah, but we both know how little time I actually spend at the dorm." He blushed. "Well, except for last month."

It was Clark's turn to interject. "He's also in some of your classes, isn't he?"

"A few. He's an biochemical engineer major." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he felt his stomach sink. "He's been giving me coffee. A lot of the gang in our group has, but he's been doing it a lot lately."

Ollie nodded as he picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Then I think we should find him and talk to him."


	8. Chp 8 Realizations

Standard disclaimer stuff here.

Thanks for all the reviews and hope you like the next few chapters. As I've told my reviewers, this story is a lot of build up for many things and is the first of many.

This chapter has a bit of slash.

Chp 8

Star City

Derek glanced worriedly over his shoulder as he made his way into the bus station. Someone was following him and they were not letting him run. His earlier attempts to board a plane had ended in disaster. Now, he was hoping to be able to get on a bus out of the city. It didn't matter where he went or how long it took to get there, he just knew that he had to get out of the city and soon.

He kept his head down and tried to hurry. Suddenly, two men appeared out of nowhere and grabbed him, forcing him back out of the bus station.

To the ordinary passenger, it would look like he'd been escorted out by members of Star City PD's detective squad. As soon as they'd asked the first question, Derek knew that he was in serious trouble.

Four hours later, a black van slowed down before coming to stop in an alley in Los Angeles. The rear doors opened and Derek Austin tumbled slowly to the ground. He laid there for several moments, grateful to be alive. Getting to his feet, he stumbled his way out of the alley having already decided that disappearing would be the only thing that saved his life.

Metropolis

Oliver picked the phone up after the second ring. "Queen." He listened quietly for several minutes. "Get a sample of it to Dr. Douglas at Queen Labs immediately." With that, he hung up and rejoined Clark in the living room.

Shortly after dinner, Tyler had fallen asleep again. Clark had carried him back to his bedroom and they got him settled for the night. Then, they'd gone back out to talk things over.

Even though Tyler thought that Derek had something to do with his being poisoned, all of them had agreed to keep looking for other possible suspects since it was a given that Derek could not have been acting alone.

"Derek Austin confirmed that he had been poisoning Tyler for the past 2 months. The man he said was paying him to do it, however, has been dead since 1987. He did say that the guy worked for Aristol World Wide Enterprises."

"Well, we know a place to start looking at least."

Ollie nodded. "Aristol is a subsidiary of Luthorcorp based in Star City. As far as I know, we haven't gone up against each other for contracts since they're more into import/export."

"What were you saying about a sample?"

"Apparently, Mr. Austin was trying to get rid of the evidence. My people are going to bring a sample here so that Dr. Douglas can take a look at it, make sure Ty is outta danger."

Clark was silent for a few minutes. "He doesn't like being out of action, does he?"

He snorted. "No, Tyler hates not being able to do what he wants when he wants. Him voluntarily dropping off the competitions list for all the teams means he knows it was bad."

"Take it he has a competitive streak to compliment his stubborn one?"

Oliver laughed. "Does he ever."

_12 years ago_

_Fifteen year old Oliver Queen rolled his eyes as he finally located his brother. They'd been home for the summer for barely a week. Earlier that day, he'd started teaching Tyler how to shoot a bow. The younger Queen could barely pull the drawstring back enough to break the tension on the bow so that he could release an arrow._

_After lunch, Ollie had sat down to work on his summer reading list while Donald, the man responsible for them during school breaks, forced Tyler, who'd been up since before sunrise, to take a nap. At least, that's what Ty was supposed to have been doing._

_When Donald had gone up to check on him 20 minutes later, he'd found Tyler gone from his room and the window open. Exasperated, he'd sent Oliver out to look for his brother. He'd been searching for the past hour when he realized that the last place they'd been had before lunch was the archery range that had been set up on the grounds several years ago. So, that was where he'd headed._

_Now, he watched as his brother fought to get another arrow notched, then slowly aimed in the direction of the target. As Tyler brought the bow up into position, Ollie could see the blood dripping off his brother's arm. He broke into a jog as Ty let the arrow fly only to drop the bow as the string broke, catching him in the already injured arm._

"_Tyler!" He dropped to his knees beside his brother, stripping off his shirt and pressing it against his brother's arm. "Easy Ty, I've got you."_

_Tyler had looked down at him with tears in his eyes. "I was just trying to be as good as you are Ollie."_

_He'd picked Tyler up, carrying him back to the house. "It's taken me a few years to get as good as I am Ty and one day you'll get there. For now, let's get you cleaned up okay?"_

_While he and Donald had taken care of the cuts on Ty's arm, they'd discovered that he'd also developed raw spots on his fingers from holding the arrows and pulling back on the string. After settling Tyler in to rest, Oliver had gotten a ride into town and purchased a different bow for his brother along with a shooting glove, better arm guard and a smaller set of arrows in a quiver. _

_He understood that Tyler wanted to be just like him, but what Ty didn't understand was that there were things he was better at than Ollie. His little brother would never believe it though and knew that it was time to let him expand his horizons a bit._

"That summer was the first time that Ty actually got to participate in different events beside those he was required to for school. You think I'm stubborn about some things?"

Clark just raised an eyebrow, not saying anything.

"Okay, so I am, but until you've watched Tyler literally work himself until he collapses trying to get a new move down, you haven't seen stubborn. His coaches all had to watch him to make sure he didn't over do it."

"So they don't now?"

He shook his head. "Since I disappeared, then came back, Ty's lost a little of that. He knows his limits now and the only time he'll really push himself beyond them is if something's bothering him."

"Kinda like how he showed up here without calling you."

Ollie nodded. "Even if it's just for lunch or something, Ty will call before he shows up at the office. Anytime we've ever been apart, even if it was because I was overseas on business and had extended the trip a bit for fun, if he was going to join me, he calls. For him to just show up without notice, yeah, something's wrong."

"Maybe he knew that something was going on and wanted you to help him figure it out."

"I don't know. Something tells me that he still hasn't told us everything that's been going on the past couple of months, especially the last month."

"Let's wait until after he sees the doctor before talking about it to him again. If you give him some time, he might just tell you without it turning into an interrogation."

He cocked his head at Clark. "Am I that easy for you to read?"

A soft blush crept into his face. "I've gotten to know you this past month Oliver and since yesterday, I've seen another side of you. I think that you're scared for your brother and are willing to do anything to see that those who have hurt him pay. Even if that might mean you accidentally hurt him in the process."

Oliver watched him in silence for several moments. Clark was right. When it came to Tyler, he'd do whatever it took to make those who had hurt him pay. And if he wasn't careful, he'd run right over Ty to do it.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding. "You're right. I'd let my desire to get whoever had done this overrule anything else and Ty would get hurt by me in the process."

The next morning, Clark was back at the penthouse before either Oliver or Tyler were awake. He'd gone home the night before so that he could get the chores done early and be back to go with them to the lab. If he was honest with himself, he'd found that he needed the break. Since he had let Lana go, he'd come to realize that although he did love her, she would not have made him happy for the rest of his life. Spending the last couple of days with Oliver, he'd started to realize that he might have feelings for the man. He'd spent most of last night, thinking over that and had come to the conclusion that it didn't make him feel dirty. His parents had taught him that you love who you love, no matter what the package might be. The only thing holding him back was that Oliver was dating someone and he wasn't sure if the older man swung both ways. For now, he'd settle for just being with Ollie. Maybe, one day, there could be more.

Oliver woke to the smell of fresh coffee and breakfast cooking, knowing it wasn't Tyler brought a small smile to his face. Clark was back. Why that idea made him feel warm inside, he didn't have a clue. True, he was more bi-sexual than straight, but it had been years since he'd looked at another man in that way. There was just something about Clark that you couldn't help but love and if he was totally honest with himself, he could see spending the rest of his life with the younger man. The only thing that gave him pause was that he was currently dating Lois. Then again, he'd come to understand that it was a relationship that was more fun than serious and would benefit them both by ending as friends than trying to turn it into something that would end badly down the road.

He forced himself out of bed and into the shower, letting the warm water cascade down the muscled expanse of his chest. Thoughts of Clark's hands moving over his body leaped into his mind and he gave into the fantasy.

_Clark stood behind Ollie, partially blocking the warm spray as his hands caressed the smooth skin of his lover. He leaned his head down and nuzzled the space between Ollie's neck and shoulder, followed by a light nip that sent shivers through the older man. Slowly, he moved his hands lower, sliding over the abs to rest at his hips, letting his thumbs trace small circles over the area._

"_God Clark." Ollie leaned his head back, exposing his throat to the brunette behind him. "I need you, please."_

"_So impatient." He moved one hand off of the blonde's hip and gently encircled his lover's thick shaft. "So hot and hard." Lightly he started pumping Oliver's cock, letting his thumb slide over the slit before gently drifting back down. He gently nipped his lover's earlobe and grinned as Ollie thrust back against his own rigid member. _

_He groaned as Clark picked up the pace, adding pressure and speed along with a little twist. All too soon he found himself thrusting hard in time to Clark's pumping. The pressure built until he came with a cry, his lover's name bursting from his lips. Before he could recover, he felt pressure at his entrance and then Clark was inside him. His hands automatically went to the tiles as he met his lover's thrusts._

_Clark's hands held onto Ollie at the hips as he pounded into his lover, changing the angle slightly to make sure he hit the prostrate and smirking when he heard the moan of pure pleasure that burst from the blonde's mouth letting him know he'd been successful. One hand moved to once again grasp his lover's cock, pumping him in time to his own thrusts. They came together, then Clark pulled Oliver back against him, allowing the older man to lean against him as his breathing recovered, trailing feather soft kisses over his cheek and throat._

"_So beautiful and all mine."_

Oliver came with a groan, his hand wrapped around his cock as he shot stream after stream onto the tiles in front of him. He rested his head against an arm as he leaned against the wall as he realized that he had it bad for one Smallville farm boy named Clark Kent.


	9. Chp 9 Again, trouble

Think I've got the link to a pic thing solved. Just let me know who's interested in seeing Tyler.

Standard disclaimer still applies. Thanks for the reviews so far, especially since it's only been a few people giving them.

Chp 9

When Oliver had finished dressing, he came out to find Tyler already sitting at the breakfast bar eating. He paused for a moment and watched his brother. It was obvious from Ty's posture that he was still tired, but the Queen stubbornness was refusing to let him give in at the moment. Shaking his head, he joined the pair, squeezing his brother's shoulder as he sat down.

"You feeling okay Ty?"

"Still tired, but I figured I should eat something and since Clark was gracious enough to cook." He shrugged.

"Thanks for cooking Clark, I appreciate it." Ollie started making himself a plate.

"It wasn't a problem. I got my chores done early and decided to come on back after I took a shower. Figured you two would still be asleep." He finished eating and put his plate in the sink. "So what time do we have to be at the lab?"

"Nine o'clock. I've already let Dr. Douglas know that we'll be coming and he should have received the poison sample last night. Hopefully, he's had a chance to process it a bit."

Clark nodded, watching as Tyler played with his food a bit. He could tell just by looking at the younger Queen that he was nervous. With a look, he caught Ollie's eye and nodded slightly at Tyler before he started cleaning up.

Watching his brother a moment after Clark had gotten his attention, Oliver saw that his brother was scared. Gently, he wrapped an arm around Tyler, pulling him to rest against his side.

"We're going to get you through this Ty. Just remember that you're not alone, okay?"

Tyler nodded, unwilling to trust his voice, as he leaned against his brother a bit. He sighed. If he could, he'd stay with his brother like this forever.

"Come on, you need to finish eating and get cleaned up."

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes as he finished his breakfast. When he was done, he put his plate in the sink and went to take a shower.

Oliver waited until Tyler was out of the room, then turned to Clark. "He's scared and honestly so am I."

"Ollie, you can't start thinking the worst here. Tyler's going to be okay. It might take a few weeks yet for him to be back where he was before this all started, but he's going to get there. If you start thinking otherwise, he's going to know." At Oliver's raised eyebrow he snorted. "Come on, I've watched you two together. It's not that big of a leap."

"I know you're right Clark, but I'm just worried about him." He put his plate in the sink. "Thanks again for breakfast, I really appreciate it."

"It wasn't a problem. Besides, it's the least I could do since you got dinner last night."

Two hours later found them walking into the clinic of the Queen Industries Lab. It had only made sense to Oliver, after Ty initially suggested it, that all of their facilities have a small clinic in them that was fully functional. It was free to the employees and if they needed something the clinic couldn't provide, then it was paid for by the company. This particular clinic was equipped with several private rooms and had the capabilities of a level one trauma center.

Dr. Bryan Douglas met them as soon as they entered the clinic. "Mr. Queen." He shook hands with Oliver. "I hate to be abrupt, but we need to get some tests started on your brother."

Tyler frowned and spoke up before Oliver could. "What kind of tests are you talking about doctor?"

Bryan turned to the younger Queen. "Please, let's go somewhere a bit more private first." He led them to one of the private hospital-like rooms. After they were all in, he shut the door and turned to face the trio. "We've analyzed the poison and found that even after the antidote is given, there are some lingering effects."

It was Oliver's turn to frown. "What type of lingering effects?"

"Besides having hallucinogenic properties, it also causes calcium to be leeched from the bones and can lower red blood cell and platelet numbers. The calcium leech is low, but over time it can cause severe damage."

"Would that explain why a fracture 3 weeks old still hasn't started to really heal?" Tyler asked, flexing his fingers a bit beneath the brace on his left hand.

"It would and in the long run it could cause the bones to become brittle and stubbing a toe could result in a shattered foot. We can treat it, but first we need to run a few tests to see how low the counts are and then start flushing his system."

Tyler looked over at his brother, who could see the fear in his eyes, and slowly nodded before turning back to the doctor. "Okay, let's get started."

The doctor handed him a set of scrubs. "I'll let you get changed and alert the lab." He left to get things started.

Oliver placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and pointed to the screen in the corner. "Go get changed. We'll be right here."

Four hours later and Oliver was holding onto Tyler's hand as his brother slept. In the end, the tests had consisted of a bone marrow biopsy, arterial blood gas reading and a whole host of other lab work in addition to an MRI, CT scan and X-rays of his wrist and ribs. Removing some of the bone marrow had been the worst for his brother, who's sleep was due to the mild sedative he'd been given before the procedure started. He was glad Tyler had been asleep. Seeing the needles invade the bone of his brother's pelvis area had caused him to hurt and if Ty being asleep prevented him from remembering the event, Oliver was happy about it.

Now, his brother was hooked up to a hemodialysis unit so that his blood could be cleaned of any remaining traces of the poison. When this was done, he'd be given a round of enriched plasma and two units of whole blood. For now, all they could do was wait.

(I apologize for it being short, but I promise more tomorrow.)


	10. Chp 10 Beginnings

Again, I apologize for the short chapter, but like I promised here's another one.

Standard disclaimer applies. Cussing is involved in this chapter.

And I promise, there is a rhyme and reason for everything that's happening. Reviews might get a sneak peak into what that might be. (Hint, hint)

Chp 10

Clark played with the cup more than drinking the coffee it held, prompting Chloe to still his hand.

"Will you stop it already? Pretty soon that cup is going to take flight."

He blushed slightly, but stopped playing with the cup. "Sorry Chlo, just kinda worried is all."

She watched him for a few minutes. It was easy to tell that Clark had quickly grown to like Oliver Queen as a friend and she thought it might be progressing beyond that. Chloe could also tell that Tyler Queen had found a place in Clark's circle. All of it made her more eager to see this newest Queen for herself.

"Exposing yourself by launching a coffee cup into orbit isn't going to help Tyler or Oliver."

"I know." He sighed and sat back a bit, then stood up. "Come on, let's go see them."

Standing, she nodded. "Let's grab something for Ollie while we're out. I know he probably hasn't eaten and I'm not going to make him leave his brother to do so anytime soon."

When they arrived at the clinic, it was to find Oliver sitting alone in Tyler's room, the bed empty.

Clark's heart fell as he frowned. "Oliver?" He made his way over to the blonde and knelt beside him. "What happened? Where's Tyler?"

Ollie looked into Clark's eyes, tears unshed in his own. "Surgery." He'd already gone through the anger over what had happened and was left in a state of shock. "One of the nurse's came in to check on the dialysis unit. I guess Ty was just starting to come around because she spooked him when she pressed the area around the site where the needle was in his arm. He jerked and she jumped back. When she did, the line in his vein snapped. Part of it was left in there and was pouring blood. They had to take him to surgery to fix it."

A hand went to Oliver's knee and rested there. "How long ago did this happen Ollie?"

"About an hour ago."

Without thought, Clark moved in and pulled Oliver to him, holding him close. "God Ollie, you should have called me. I would have been back here in a second. You shouldn't have gone through that alone."

His arms wrapped around Clark as he gave in to the tears. He'd been so scared when he saw the blood starting to flow from Tyler's arm and it only grew when the doctors and nurses started shouting orders and before he could blink they had his brother on a gurney being rushed out of the room. Bryan had barely stopped to tell him what was going on and what they needed to do before rushing off in the direction they'd taken his brother. Since then, he'd been sitting there, numb, until Clark had come back.

Chloe walked over and gently rubbed Ollie's back while Clark held the billionaire. She was used to seeing Oliver strong and confident. This man before her was anything but that. Seeing it made him more human in a way that she'd never seen Lex and decided that she'd do everything she could to help both the Queen boys.

Dr. Bryan Douglas entered Tyler's room and spotted the trio then moved over to stand in front of Oliver. "We got the bleeding under control and we're finishing the hemodialysis now. Also, we've gone ahead and casted his wrist."

Oliver looked up at him. "What about the deficit in calcium?"

"Your brother has a few months of recovery ahead of him Mr. Queen. My advice is that he not leave Metropolis until he's medically cleared. For now, I want to keep him here a few more days. Tomorrow, we'll start him on treatments to rebuild his calcium levels. He'll also need a high protein, high calcium diet that's also rich in iron. Our nutritionist can help with that. The cast will have to remain on for about 6 weeks to start. Then we'll see how he's healing."

"What are his limitations going to be?"

"For the next week or so, I'd like for him to rest as much as possible. He's going to be sore and likely to have a low grade fever while he starts to recover. I want to see him a week after he's released and we'll go from there. Otherwise, I have no problem with him using a stationary bike for no more than 10 minutes a day after that first week. If I think he can handle more after that, I'll let you know."

"He's supposed to graduate next month from Star City University." Clark spoke up, giving Oliver a chance to process everything they'd been told so far.

"I'm sorry, but at this time I can't tell you if he'll be able to make the trip. The next few weeks are going to be critical in Tyler making a full recovery."

With a sigh, Oliver looked up at the doctor. "When will he be back in here?"

"That depends on how soon he comes out of the anesthesia. We'll want him to actually be able to answer a couple of questions before we release him from recovery."

"Thank you doctor."

"It's not a problem. You should get something to eat while you have the chance." He left them alone once again.

They nodded and watched as he left, then Oliver put his head in his hands. "God I can't believe this is happening."

"He's strong Oliver, he'll be okay. We'll help you both get through this." Clark gently squeezed his shoulder.

Chloe gently kissed his cheek. "We promise." She stood and grabbed the bag they'd brought in with them. "Now, time to eat Mr. Queen."

Oliver couldn't help the small chuckle that slipped out. "Yes ma'am." He sighed and took one of the sandwiches, wondering how he got lucky enough to end up with people that truly cared.

It was another two hours before Tyler was brought back into the room. The trio stayed out of the way as the med techs moved him from the gurney to the bed. As soon as they were alone once again in the room, Chloe grinned.

"Well, I must say that good looks definitely run in the Queen genes."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Aw Chloe, come on."

Ollie looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Thought you were into Jimmy? Are you planning on dumping him and chasing my little brother?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"Don't you guys have any pity for the sick and helpless?" Tyler's voice was slightly scratchy, but he couldn't just lay there without saying anything.

"How you feeling kiddo?" Oliver placed a hand on his brother's forehead, brushing the slightly damp blonde locks out of his face.

"Really tired." He sighed. "Doc tell you what's going on?"

"Yeah, he did. I'll arrange it with the school to get you some help with your finals."

"Don't need to."

Oliver frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't have any that I need to take. Chose to do final projects in all my classes instead of taking a final. They're on my laptop. Just have to finish a couple of papers and send them to my professors."

"All right, but you can wait a week before you start thinking about that."

"Can't type right now anyway." He fought down a yawn.

"I'll type for you." Chloe moved up beside the bed. "Hi, I'm Chloe Sullivan."

Tyler gave her a weak grin. "Nice to meet you. Although, I gotta admit I wish it was under different circumstances."

"Yeah well, I seem to have a habit of meeting men in interesting situations."

He laughed softly. "All right then, I'll dictate and you can type it up for me, but Ollie's right. It'll probably be better to tackle it in a week or so."

Clark frowned at Oliver as he started patting his pockets and chest. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find something to write with."

"Why?"

"Because I've got to write down the day that my little brother actually admitted I'm right about something in front of witnesses."

They all shared a small laugh at that before Tyler drifted back off to sleep.

It was four days before Dr. Douglas actually released Tyler and he'd ordered the younger Queen to another week of bed rest at home. Normally, he would have been bored to death at the clinic by the second day, but Clark and Chloe had helped Oliver keep him entertained while they continued to try and find out more about who could be behind the poisoning.

They'd narrowed down the list of classmates that could have been helping Derek Austin to five and three of those were on the martial arts team with Tyler as well. So far, they hadn't had any luck finding any of the five and were in a holding pattern in that direction.

Trying to find who might be backing them was a different matter. They hadn't been able to determine if someone was aiming for Tyler specifically or if they were using Ty as a means to get at Oliver. That left a lot of digging to do in both the business world and private sector of things.

Currently, they were scatted around the pent house's living room, with Tyler on the couch looking through files of former Queen Industry personnel. Clark and Chloe were tracking down different people who might have it out for the brothers on the internet and Oliver was on the phone talking to his contacts.

It was Tyler that finally broke them all out of their silence. "That fuckin does it." He tossed the file he was reading onto the table. "We need to do something besides this for a while."

Oliver looked over at him, arching an eyebrow. "You're not doing anything requires you getting off that couch."

"Maybe not, but we can order in some pizza or something and watch a couple of movies. We need to relax and take a breather."

Chloe looked over at him, smirking. "I thought Oliver was the older one of you two. Shouldn't he be the one saying that?"

Tyler snorted. "Yeah right. Once Oliver gets his head into something, it's full speed ahead until he gets an answer.'

"Like you don't? Least I've never collapsed from exhaustion trying to learn a new move."

"Maybe not, but I'm not the one that's fallen asleep on a contract and had board members walk-in while you wake up with a line of drool running from your mouth to the papers."

Clark started laughing, while Chloe tried to hide her grin behind her laptop.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "All right, I get the point." He tossed a paper wad at Clark. "And you two can stop laughing over there."

Chloe wiped her eyes. "Sorry Ollie, but it was kinda funny."

"There was no 'kinda' about it. That was funny to listen to."

Tyler sat up a bit on the couch. "So what's on the movie list?"

Later that night, after the latest James Bond flick and the Da Vinci Code, Tyler had finally succumbed to sleep. Clark had carried him to his bedroom while Ollie got the meds he needed to take. After getting him settled and the meds taken, they'd left him alone, going back out into the living room to find Chloe now asleep as well.

Oliver chuckled softly. "Guess the day finally got to her." He grabbed a blanket and laid it over the sleeping blonde and turned to Clark. "The other guest room's open if you want to stay."

Clark nodded. "Think I'll take you up on your offer."

He watched as Ollie set the alarms and locked down the elevator for the night. As the blonde started back towards him, he did something that might end the deep friendship he was building with the older man.

"Ollie," His voice was slightly husky as his hands found a place to rest on the blonde's shoulders and he moved closer, invading the space of the older man.

He could feel his heart starting to beat faster as Clark moved closer to him and then he looked into those eyes and found himself lost. Slowly, he closed the gap and pressed his lips to Clark's.

The kiss started out soft and gentle, each feeling the other out, but soon deepened and turned needy. Tongues dueled with each other and mapped out the warm caverns they belonged to, each trying to devour the other.

When the need for air finally forced them apart, Ollie rested his forehead against Clark's. "God Clark, where the hell did you learn to do that?"

Clark chuckled softly. "I might be a farm boy, but I'm not exactly innocent." He sighed. "I'm glad you didn't freak."

"Yeah well, I'm just glad you didn't either." He sighed and pulled Clark closer. "Are you sure about this?"

"I won't lie to you Ollie, this is new to me. I've been hung up on Lana since I was 7 and considering I grew up in Smallville, it wasn't a smart thing to do and come out and say you might be gay or bi-sexual."

"I'm hoping you're one of the latter."

"Pretty sure, but considering you're the first guy that I've ever felt anything for." He was stopped from saying anything else as Ollie found his mouth again causing him to groan softly.

When they parted for air again, Clark blushed slightly. "How about we take this somewhere a bit more private?"

Oliver nodded and took his hand, leading him to his bedroom. Once inside, he shut and locked the door, then pulled Clark in to him. "God Clark, as much as I want you, tonight, let's just sleep, okay? Then tomorrow we'll talk."

Clark nodded, blushing again. "Think slow is good."

The blonde grinned at him. "Oh, slow can be very good."


	11. Chp 11 Morning

Thanks for the reviews and fav alerts. More reviews would be appreciated and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

In case anyone got offended by anything in another chapter, I did state in the description that this will be a slash story. So, on with the slash. I gotta thank svgurl and boltgirl426 over on LiveJournal for some great stories that lend to my inspiration since I've never written a slash story before. If you haven't read their stuff, I suggest you do so, especially if you enjoy Clark/Ollie (Collie).

Now, onto the 'show'.

Slash warning

Chp 11

The first rays of sunlight were just entering the room when Clark woke the next morning. Feeling the warm body next to him, he looked over and grinned. Beside him, Oliver was tucked in close to his side, one arm over Clark's waist. The other stretched out beside his head, framing the blonde locks and handsome face. He looked younger in sleep and Clark couldn't stop himself as he leaned down and gently kissed the cheek that was offered to him.

He grinned when he felt Ollie turn his head beneath the kiss and their lips met. Oliver's tongue reached out to seek entrance and he opened, allowing the kiss to deepen. Clark's arms went around the blonde, pulling him closer as his hands slid up and down Ollie's back, reveling in the feel of smooth skin and tight muscle. He groaned as Oliver slid his hands around him and came to rest on his buttocks, pulling their hips closer.

Both of them moaned as their hardened cocks brushed against each other. The kiss turned more needy and hungry as they ground against each other, hands becoming familiar with the other's body. When they finally had to come up for air, Ollie rested his forehead against Clark's.

"That is a helluva way to wake up."

Clark chuckled softly, planting a chaste kiss on his forehead. "Good morning."

"Definitely a good morning." He studied Clark's face for a moment. "I have something I need to tell you."

The brunette pulled back a bit and frowned at him.

"It's not bad, I promise."

"Okay."

"I broke up with Lois the other day. Or rather, she broke up with me."

"What? When?" Since Tyler had been admitted, Oliver had spent most of his time over the past few days at the clinic and he knew that Lois hadn't been there. Now, his curiosity was piqued. "Not over the phone."

"No, she showed up at the office the other day when I had to go in and take those meetings."

_2 days ago_

_Ollie hadn't been happy when he had to leave Tyler and go into the office. He knew that there were things that he needed to attend to before he could take a couple of weeks off, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. The two meetings that were necessary were already done and he was just reviewing a few contracts before he would be free to look after his brother._

_When the door first opened, he thought it was his secretary, but spotting Lois he sighed and sat back in his chair. "Lois, I wasn't expecting you today."_

"_You obviously haven't been expecting me for several days Oliver. You said you would call the other day, but I haven't heard from you at all since then. I've tried calling your cell and here at the office, but they say you're not in or you're busy. So, I decided to avoid the middle man and come straight to the source. Where have you been Oliver?"_

_He was quiet for several moments. She didn't know about Tyler, unless she'd done some research and found out that he had a brother. Even if she had, all she would find is a few articles from the time he'd disappeared until Tyler went back to school and then some mentions in sports pages about where Tyler finished in a meet along with the other athletes on his team. Tyler was good at staying out of the limelight and Ollie had noticed that he held back in a couple of activities so he wouldn't be in the spotlight. The swimming team was one of those spots along with the archery team._

"_I'm sorry I haven't called you Lois, but things have been a little crazy around here."_

"_Does it have anything to do with that jail bait you were seen leaving with a few days ago?"_

_Ollie bristled at her tone and stood slowly. "Lois, I don't have to explain myself to you, but if you must know, the young man I was seen leaving with is my brother, who is currently undergoing medical treatment."_

_Lois was caught flat-footed. Sure, she'd read somewhere that Oliver had a younger brother, but from the lack of mention about him in societal columns and other forms of media, she had assumed that he was the black sheep of the family. Now, she was having to rethink her position._

"_I didn't know. I'm sorry."_

"_It's not secret that I have a brother Lois, but just because he chooses to live his life outside of what people consider our normal social circles doesn't mean that I think any less of him. Tyler is actually respected on many levels in more places than you'd realize."_

_She knew then that it was over between them. While Ollie might forgive statements being made about his own character, she wasn't naive enough to think he would allow the same things to be said about his brother. If she was honest with herself, it had been over almost since it started. Oliver had been fun, but she wasn't buying into what he offered._

"_Well, then. I guess it's a good thing I came here to tell you that we're done. It was fun Oliver, but I think you're too caught up in your own little world to truly be anything more than a distraction for me."_

_She didn't give him a chance to respond before she turned and walked out of the office. Once in the elevator, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now, if she could just convince Grant that she was worth taking a chance on, she might be able to get out of the newsroom at the Inquisitor an into an investigative reporter position at the Daily Planet._

_Oliver watched the way she'd gone for several minutes before sitting down again, a smirk on his face. Well, least no one can say he broke another relationship off. Sighing, he started in on the contracts once again, wanting to be through with them so he could spend some more time with Tyler. And maybe, just maybe, see if Clark felt anything for him at all._

When he finished, Oliver leaned forward and gently kissed Clark again. "I want to see where this takes us Clark."

Clark nodded. "One of the things I was worried about was you still dating Lois. I know we haven't known each other that long Ollie, but I feel that I can be myself with you."

"You don't have to hide what you can do or who you are from me Clark." He gently kissed the brunette, keeping it soft and light for a few moments before deepening it. His hands traveled down the younger man's back and gently slid under the waist of the sweats he was sleeping in. He slipped a leg between his soon to be lover's and shifted so that he was laying more lengthwise on Clark.

The breath he took as he looked down at the beautiful specimen before him sent a rush of blood to his throbbing cock. He attacked Clark's mouth once again as he ground his hips against his lover, feeling him arch against him as their cocks ground together as well. The exposed throat that was presented to him begged to be sampled as he gently nipped the skin there, causing Clark to buck his hips up under him.

There were no words to describe the sensations running through him as Ollie started nipping along his chest before suckling on a dusky nipple. While he sucked, he traced it with his tongue before scraping his teeth against it lightly. He couldn't stop the whimper that left him as the blonde stood up only to immediately followed by a groan as his sweats were removed and he felt Ollie's hot body pressing against his.

"Jesus Clark, you're so beautiful." Ollie watched the younger man for a moment, taking in the sight that laid before him. He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the top of the brunette's cock, tasting the precum that rested there. Narrowing his tongue, he traced the vein that rode the underside of the thick shaft before coming back to the head again and slowly taking Clark into his mouth.

Clark inhaled sharply as his rod was taken into the warmth that was Oliver's mouth. Looking down, he groaned in pleasure at watching the blonde head bobbing on his hardened length. He let his hands reach down to run through the soft strands then arched off the bed as the older man hummed with his cock still in his mouth.

Ollie grinned around the treasure he held and increased his pace, hollowing his cheeks on each upstroke. He placed one hand against his lover's hips as the brunette started to thrust upward and with the other he gently took hold of his heavy sac and rolled the silky balls between his fingers. The reaction he got was almost immediate as Clark came with a moan of pleasure. He made sure he sucked the younger man dry before kissing his way back up to the soft lips and gently kissed him, trapping his own rock hard erection between them.

"You okay?" Ollie asked, looking down into the brunette's emerald eyes.

"Yeah, just-- wow."

Oliver chuckled softly. "I told you, we'll take it slow. Now that I have you, I have no intentions of losing you."

Clark kissed him as he reached down between them and took hold of his lover's cock. "Seems like someone else needs a little attention." He started pumping the blonde's cock, alternating his grip to be hard and fast to loose and slow then back, adding a slight twist followed by a thumb over the slit as he arrived at the top. Greedily, he drank down his lover's moans until he felt the hot seed from Ollie land on his chest. He continued to stroke the blonde a few more times, then pulled him close.

"And I don't plan on letting you go either." He kissed him again, keeping it light. "Much as I would love to lay here all day, I think we should get up and get dressed before Chloe and Tyler wake up."

Ollie sighed. "Not really worried about Tyler. He's not as straight as you would assume either, but how is Chloe going to take this?"

The brunette laughed softly. "Oh, I don't think she'll have a problem with it."

An hour later, after another heavy make out session in the shower, they finally made their way out of the bedroom only to realize they were the last ones up. Tyler looked up from what he was reading and shook his head, but grinned. Chloe looked like she was ready to burst at the seams.

"What?" Ollie asked, as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Don't even start that. You do realize that your doors are not entirely sound proof, right?" Tyler set the papers down as he finished speaking. "I mean, you know I have no room to talk, but--"

Clark blushed slightly as he realized what Ty was saying. "Guess we might have been a bit loud."

Chloe laughed aloud at that. "A bit? Do you know what it's like to wake up and hear something like that going on and realize that it wasn't a dream?" She held her hands up. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you both, but wow. It was definitely an interesting way to wake up."

Tyler looked over at his brother. "Found a couple of names that might be involved."

Ollie frowned at him. "How long have you been up?"

"About 3 or 4 hours, actually. Came out here and got a few of the files then went back to my room. When the 'entertainment' started, I came back out to the living room. Chloe looked like she was getting ready to run, but I convinced her to stay. Told her you wouldn't be that rough so soon."

He'd caught his brother as he had a mouthful of orange juice, which promptly made a reappearance all over the counter. "Tyler!"

His brother just shrugged. "It's the truth." Standing slowly, he made his way to the kitchen and leaned slightly against the doorway. "The two names I came up with are Mark Jacobs and Donald Miller."

Oliver frowned. "I'm familiar with why Donald might have something against you, or us, but I don't remember Mark Jacobs."

"He tried to pull an end run on me while I was heading the company." At Ollie's arched eyebrow, he sighed. "Tried to push a deal through with a Luthorcorp subsidiary called Armen Enterprises. I'd already told him no, but he still went ahead. So, I fired him and had him escorted to clean out his desk and leave the building." He shrugged. "Got the feeling he viewed me as just a kid that didn't know my head from a hole in the ground. Hell, a lot of them did until I proved that I actually knew what I was doing. Most of that was because of you and making me get involved in things when I was 15."

He shook his head as he finished cleaning up his mess and went over to his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I never doubted your abilities to run the company in my absence. If I had, I wouldn't have put the codicil in place that I did."

"I know." He let Ollie pull him into a hug, resting his head on his brother's shoulder.

Chloe watched the two brothers for a moment and moved over towards Clark. "Ever get the feeling, watching them, that you're seeing a side that they never show to strangers?"

Clark nodded. "Somehow, I think we lost the stranger status the day we found out about Tyler and became part of the family."


	12. Chp 12 Revelations

Standard disclaimer applies.

I will respond to the reviews soon, but currently I'm writing as much as I can when it hits me. Please, be patient.

Chp 12

Ollie held Ty close for a few moments, then stepped back a bit. "You're warm again."

His brother blushed, then sighed. "Meds are still bothering my stomach. That's why I woke up."

When Dr. Douglas had explained all the meds that Tyler would be taking for a while, he'd told them to start them off as a group, but if there was any problems to start spacing them out. The important thing was for them not to be stopped and all doses given during a day. They were still working on finding a spacing that didn't leave his brother constantly running a fever, too tired to do anything or getting sick to his stomach.

"We'll try another spacing today, okay? For now, why don't you go sit back down and I'll make some tea. Then you can try to eat something."

He watched as Tyler went a little green at even the mention of food and gently shook his head. "Come on, let's get you back to bed. Maybe if you get some more rest you'll feel better."

"We've got work to do Ollie. I'll be fine."

Chloe picked that time to step up and laid a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "You've given us two leads Tyler. Let us run with it a bit and see what we can find out. I for one would rather continue seeing you here in the penthouse than in the clinic or even a hospital." She gently took hold of his chin while she talked and made him turn to look at her. "Okay?"

Tyler was quiet for a moment. It'd been a while since someone besides Ollie, Andrew or Rosalyn showed any interest in his well-being. Now, there was not only another person, but two and as comforting as it was, it confused him slightly.

"Why do you care what happens to me? You barely know me."

"Because you're a friend and that's what friends do for each other." It made her heart break a little at seeing the lost look that came over him, almost like having friends that would do that was a foreign concept to him.

"Never had friends that didn't want something from me."

"Well now you do." Clark said, coming up to stand with the trio. "And right now, you need to let us help while you get some rest."

"Come on," Chloe said, taking his hand and releasing his chin. "Let's get you back to your room." He nodded and let her lead him away.

Oliver watched them go. He'd been silent since Ty had first refused to go back to bed, letting first Chloe and then Clark step in. He sighed as Clark wrapped his arms around him. "Sometimes I forget that he never really had the chance to be a kid, to make friends that really gave a damn about him instead of trying to use him for something."

"Let's make breakfast and you can explain that a little better."

As they started working, Oliver started talking.

"When our parents died, Ty was only 3. He hadn't even started preschool yet, but mom had started teaching him at home. Living at Howard Hill, we didn't have a lot of playmates. I was attending a private school close by and rode in with dad each day to the office where our driver would take me to school. On the weekends, we usually did something as a family. The day we were told about their plane vanishing, Tyler stopped talking."

Clark frowned, but didn't say anything as he waited for Ollie to continue.

"He didn't say a word for almost a year. Even when he cried, he made no sound. Slowly, he started talking again. At first, it was only around me, but eventually he started talking to everyone. In their will, our parents had already outlined out education plans. While I continued at the private school nearby, Tyler was sent to a boarding school. We only got to see each other on breaks and school holidays until he started at Excelsior. He never talks about his time at the other school, won't even answer a direct question if it's related. Once he got to Excelsior, other kids wanted to be 'friends' with him hoping that it'd earn them a reputation."

He shook his head and snorted, then smirked as he added a few more ingredients to the egg dish he was making.

"Of course, he tried to ignore me at first, wanting to make it on his own. Then Lex tried to pick on him because I picked on Lex. Wasn't a good move on Lex's part."

_12 years ago_

_Lex Luthor was determined to make Tyler Queen's life here at Excelsior a living hell. Duncan Allenmeyer, his only friend, thought they should give the younger Queen a chance, thinking that maybe he wasn't like his older brother. Lex had convinced him otherwise._

_After finally deciding on a course of action, Lex followed the younger Queen as he headed across campus to the field house for gymnastics practice. As usual, Tyler was alone and seemed to be off in a world all his own. He grinned as moved closer to him, then suddenly kicked him hard in the knee._

_The way he had envisioned things to happen after that move was nothing compared to the reality of the situation. As soon as Tyler had started to go down, he'd tossed his books aside and dropped to a roll, coming up on his feet and facing Lex._

_That was when Lex knew he'd made a mistake and that the younger Queen was going to be no more of a pushover than his older brother. He was a Luthor, however, and they, as his father kept reminding him, don't back down from fights. So, he moved closer and was about to swing at Tyler when he suddenly found himself on the ground looking up. Slowly, he got to his feet and tried to find the blonde, but as soon as he was upright, a sweep to his leg sent him crashing back down before an elbow landed in his stomach, forcing the air from his body._

_The next thing he knew, Duncan was beside him and he could hear several other people talking. He recognized Oliver Queen's voice, but lacked the energy to do anything as he gave into the darkness that was calling._

"Tyler gave Lex a concussion, earned himself a twisted ankle plus a week's worth of detention for fighting on school grounds. After that, people either gave him a wide berth or tried to suck up to him even harder. Ty never picked on anyone, unlike me, but he didn't back down from anyone either. It only took two more fights before people realized that he could not be used to get back at me without paying a heavy price for it."

"Sounds like he was a loner." If it was one thing he'd understood, it was what it felt like to be different. Since Tyler had skipped a few grades, was younger than the other students in his grade and had a popular older brother, he was automatically classified as different by those around him. He could see how that could force someone into being alone.

"For the most part, he kinda was one. Don't get me wrong, he had friends, but nothing like you and Chloe." He slid the egg, cheese and vegetable mixture into the oven to finish cooking. "Ty's my best friend and I'm his. For too long we've been the only ones that really looked out for each other."

Clark walked over and put his arms around Ollie's waist. "Neither one of you are alone anymore Oliver. Chloe and I will be there for the both of you."

"I know and I can't tell you how much that means to me." He kissed him softly, keeping it somewhat chaste, then rested his forehead against Clark's. "I don't know anything about the Mark Jacobs he was talking about, but Donald Miller might have it in for both of us."

"Want to talk about it?"

"When Chloe comes back out here. I only want to have to tell it once."

He nodded and kissed the blonde. "So you play rough do you?"

Ollie chuckled softly. "That depends, but we have other things to do before we can explore that idea." He gently nipped his lover's lower lip, then kissed him again.

While Ollie and Clark were in the kitchen, Chloe helped Tyler back to his room. She was pulling back the sheets on his bed when she heard him almost run to the bathroom. When he was done, she went in and filled a glass with water before handing it to him.

Ty took it from her and rinsed his mouth out, then took a couple of small sips before handing her the glass back.

"Thanks Chloe." He got slowly to his feet and washed his face off, then sighed. "Hate feeling like this."

"Everyone gets sick Tyler. Just because this was caused by another person doesn't change that fact."

"Yeah, but Ollie has enough on his plate with Queen Industries. He doesn't need to be worrying about me on top of it all." Tossing the hand towel aside, he went back into the bedroom and laid down, propping his wrist up on a pillow.

"He loves you Tyler and he would worry about you even if you weren't sick." She sat beside him on the bed. "You're family and nothing is going to change that."

He blushed slightly. "I know you're right. Just sometimes I wonder if it would have been better for him if mom and dad had taken me with them."

"Tyler Queen, you'd better get that out of your head right now. I might not have known Oliver for years, but in the past couple of weeks I've come to realize that he cherishes what he has and is willing to do what is necessary to try and protect those he cares about. You're his brother, but I can tell you're also good friends."

At his raised eyebrow, she laughed softly. "Let's just say that I've seen a few siblings that were more likely to start a war with each other than to even hand one another the salt at dinner. Besides, you're kinda hard not to like."

He laughed softly. "You haven't seen me in the boardroom." He sighed. "Thanks Chloe. I know Ollie's just looking out for me, but sometimes I feel like I'm still trying to prove to him that I'm not a kid anymore."

She gently brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Trust me, no one here sees you as a kid." She kissed his cheek. "Get some rest." Leaving the room, she turned the light off and closed the door, leaving it open just a crack.

When she got back to the kitchen she walked over to Ollie and punched him in the arm.

"What was that for?" He stared at her, confused.

"Do you realize that he still thinks he has to prove himself to you? Or that he sometimes wishes he'd been with your parents that day?"

Oliver paled and she knew she had her answer.

Clark made Ollie sit down in the living room, turning off the oven as he joined him and Chloe. "Mind telling me what brought that on?"

She told them about the conversation she had with Tyler. "Course, that was after he threw up again."

Ollie sighed. "I'll talk to him later, I promise. Right now, he needs the rest."

"So what was it you were going to say about Donald Miller?" Clark was hoping to steer the conversation into a direction that would lead them back to the path of finding the guy behind Tyler's poisoning.

"Donald Miller was kind of our caretaker. Whenever we were home for breaks from school, he was responsible for us. At least, until Tyler was 11. Then something happened and he was fired. That was when Andrew came into the picture."

_9 years ago_

_Tyler Queen ran in from the pool area sopping wet. The thunderstorm they were having had caught him off guard while he was out on the grounds running. He was keeping in shape for the next school year, which would open with the swimming season and he needed to be ready for it. Slowing down, he started making his way to his room to get dried off. He never heard Donald come up behind him. _

"_What do you think you are doing?" He grabbed the boy by the arm, pulling him up onto his tip toes. "Do you realize the mess that you are making?"_

"_I'm—- I'm sorry Donald. I'll clean it up when I get changed."_

"_You will clean it up now!" He tossed the kid to the floor and left. A few minutes later he was back with a sponge and a bowl. "You will use the sponge to soak up the water and wring it out into the bowl. I suggest you get started." Without warning, he dumped the water that had been in the bowl over Tyler, causing him to gasp._

_The cold water shocked him, but he said nothing out loud as he started cleaning up the water. In moments, he was shaking, but he didn't dare disobey the older man. He was still at it almost half an hour later when Donald returned. Seeing that the mess was still not cleaned up to his satisfaction, he shook his head. _

"_Get to your room and stay there. I will be in when I am ready to deal with you and you will not talk to your brother until then."_

_Tyler started to object, but the sharp, stinging slap he received to his face hand him hurrying out of the room. He fell twice on his way up the stairs, but didn't say anything. Once in his room, he took a seat on the floor beside his bed, drawing his knees up into his chest before wrapping his arms around them and resting his head there._

_He must have fallen asleep because he was jerked awake by the slap of leather on skin. That was when he smelled the alcohol on Donald's breath. It wasn't until the eighth or ninth hit with the belt that he actually started crying out. He'd tried to get to his feet, but the way he had been sitting left him unable to move under the onslaught. A couple minutes later, Donald stopped hitting him and jerked him to his feet, pushing him towards the stairs._

"_Now maybe you'll actually be able to do what you are told."_

_Tyler stumbled at the top of the steps and would have fallen down them if Ollie had caught him. As it was, his appearance shocked his brother, but not nearly as bad as seeing Donald coming after Tyler, belt still in hand._

"I managed to get Tyler back downstairs and into a car. Once we got to the hospital, they called the cops. Donald got 7 years in prison for aggravated assault of a minor."

"Well, that definitely gives him a motive for poisoning Tyler." Chloe shook her head. "I'll take him and start finding out where he's been since he got out of jail. You two can have Mark Jacobs."

Clark shook his head. "Ollie's going to finish cooking while you and I get started. Then after Ty's had a bit more sleep, we'll share what we've got." He watched the other two for a moment, and when they both nodded, the trio turned to their assigned tasks.


	13. Chp 13 Motive

Yeah, okay. So I don't own anyone, but Tyler. Wish I did though.

Thanks again for the reviews.

Chp 13

It was close to lunch before Tyler made a reappearance. He still looked tired, but at least he wasn't as pale looking. Ollie grinned as he took a seat on the couch and looked over at him.

"You know, we're going to have to spar again when I'm up to it so I can wipe that frickin grin back off your face."

His brother laughed at him. "No way. You can find someone else to be your punching bag. Last time I won a sparring match with you was over 8 years ago."

Tyler grinned at him. "Can't help it if you were more interested in putting pointy things into objects than learning how to stop someone from beating you up with their hands."

Oliver shook his head. "Feel up to eating something?"

"Not just yet." He nodded at the files. "Find anything out about Jacobs or Miller?"

"Except for right after Miller was released from jail, there's nothing really available about him. Least, not that we've been able to uncover. As for Jacobs, after you fired him, he moved to New York and got work there. He's slowly been making his way up in Aristol World Wide Enterprises since then."

"Kinda figured a snake like him would crawl out from under his rock eventually."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Which snake are you referring to?"

"Take it Ollie told you two about what happened with Miller?"

"He did." Clark grinned. "Right after Chloe punched him in the arm."

Tyler shook his head. "Not even going to ask about that. Anyway, Miller pretty much stated at his sentencing that he would get even with me. For some reason, he didn't really hold Oliver to blame for him going to jail, just me. He's also old money and has ties which have been forged with people that'd love to see Queen Industries brought to ruin."

Oliver frowned and took a seat across from his brother. "How the hell do you know this Tyler?"

He looked at his brother, and Chloe shivered. Now she knew what he meant when he said that she'd never seen him in the boardroom.

"You taught me that once an enemy leaves your sight, you do what you have to in order to make sure he can't turn around and try to attack you again. When you disappeared, I lost the person I had covering my six. Miller came up for parole during that time and I testified against him at his hearing. I didn't go in there without information." He got up and went to his room. When he came back a few minutes later, he was carrying a laptop and file. The laptop he handed to Chloe and gave the file to his brother. "Chloe, once you get the laptop up and running, I'll input the password." He looked at Oliver. "I learned well." Without saying anything else, he went outside to the balcony and stood looking over the city.

Oliver watched his brother for a moment, then turned to the file in his hands. As he flipped through the information, he realized that Tyler had learned very well. Page after page was filled with information about who had visited Miller while he was in jail, what kind of packages he received, how often he got mail down to who he associated with during meals and free time. Further in the file, he found information about visits he had made to see people like Tony Zucco while he was still employed as their caretaker. He looked up when he heard the laptop Tyler had given Chloe start up and turned towards her.

"Don't try hacking into it Chloe. If you do, it'll wipe its hard drive."

She frowned. "Are you serious?" Her thoughts were whirling about why someone would set up that level of security on a laptop and how Tyler Queen had done it. Or, if he hadn't done it himself, who had done it for him.

"Very serious. That's the laptop Ty uses for school. So it's got all the information for his class projects, plus whatever he's been working on for Queen Industries."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "How does he have time to do anything for the company with his schedule?"

Oliver shook his head. "I'm not the one to ask about that. Whenever he picks a project to work on, I know the one he's chosen, but that's pretty much it. He meets his deadlines and when they're ready to present either the findings or a prototype, I get that information. The rest is left up to the department he's working with at the time." He nodded towards the Arrow room. Clark had told him that Chloe had figured out that he was the Green Arrow, so he wasn't worried about talking about it in front of her.

"Tyler's responsible for the security for the Arrow room and the penthouse. He's done all the systems for each Arrow room I have and he's helped create a few devices to help me on patrol."

"That's why the titanium alloy your arrows are made from is untraceable."

He nodded. "Ty came up with the idea and I tested each prototype until we got the one I use now. If I have an idea about something, we talk it over and he goes to work on it. Few weeks later, I've got something to try." Ollie pointed at the laptop. "That thing holds more information than you might think, but most of it is configured so that only Tyler, myself and a couple of other people can read it. Unless you have the passwords necessary to access it, a virus starts attacking the system until the whole thing is wiped clean. Tyler is the only one that has those passwords."

Clark got up. "I'll get Tyler so he can put the password in."

"Clark, make sure he hears you coming and don't grab him. If he's not focused on what's going on around him, he'll react when you touch him or startle him."

The brunette nodded and went to the balcony doors. For a few moments, he just watched the younger Queen. It was hard not to notice the tension that the body held or to see that he was lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't about to spook him. Clearing his throat, he waited for some sign that Tyler heard him.

When he'd gone out on the balcony, he'd done so to try and get away from the memories their investigation was digging up. He thought he'd dealt with all of this years ago, but now it seems like it was just wishful thinking. His thoughts drifted back to the parole hearing he'd gone to in order to keep Donald Miller behind bars for as long as possible.

_3 years ago_

_He'd been nervous as he entered the courtroom. Mr. Reeves had said that it wasn't necessary for him to do this, but Tyler wanted to make sure the man paid for what he'd done. It'd taken months for him to get over being beaten by Donald Miller and the physical scars from it were still fading. Almost a year had passed before he was able to walk the same path he'd taken that day without giving into the urge to run._

_Ollie had helped him move his bedroom since he couldn't stand being in the room anymore. The only good thing to come out of what Miller had done was that Oliver had started taken care of him instead of trusting someone else to do it. Andrew Templeton had been hired as a personal assistant/butler for Ollie shortly before Tyler had returned to school. He liked the man, who had taken it upon himself to make sure the younger Queen didn't want for anything while he was home if Oliver was busy._

_It had taken him several visits to be comfortable with the man, especially alone. Now, he took a seat beside him as he waited for the hearing to start._

_When it was his turn to speak, he silently thanked the system for keeping this closed to the public. If it had been an open hearing, he just knew that the press would have been all over him about how he knew the man and why he had been there._

_It had taken several minutes for him to relate the reasons that Miller needed to remain behind bars. His doctor, who constantly told him that he needed to take better care of himself and see him on a more regular basis, had supplied photos from that day and the scars that still remained. He'd included information that he'd found concerning possible contacts Miller had to organized crime, particularly Tony Zucco. Tyler had refused to make eye contact with Miller until he was leaving the stand. _

_Once the decision had been read to keep Miller for the final 2 years of his sentence, Tyler had stood up with Andrew to leave. As Donald Miller was being led from the courtroom in handcuffs, he'd looked over at him once again. That was when Miller had threatened to get his revenge on him once he was free. Something told Tyler that maybe he should take the man seriously. That was when he'd started digging deeper into the man, determined to know his enemy better than the enemy knew itself._

It was the clearing of the throat behind him that brought him out of his memories and the tensed for a moment before relaxing. Slowly, he turned and faced Clark, grateful that his brother had found someone that could make him happy and was proving to be a true friend to both of them as well.

"I take it Chloe's got the laptop up and running?"

"Yeah," He gave Tyler a lopsided grin. "Ollie told us what might happen if she tried to hack the password. Told them I'd come get you."

Tyler groaned. "That would be bad since it has all my final projects on it." He started back towards the penthouse, then stopped and bent down to pick something up. The move probably saved his life as a bullet impacted the frame where his head would have been.


	14. Chp 14 Lead or Poison?

Standard disclaimer still applies, but Tyler is mine. Have several pics available if anyone would like to see him.

Thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming.

Ahead of time, I'm keeping any CSI type stuff to a minimum. I know what all the cops would do to determine the trajectory and all that, but I'm not going to write it out. Call it selfish on my part, but I want to eventually get to the point of the story. Believe me, we've still got some ground to cover people. So sit back, enjoy the ride and continue to peruse the pages of the first story in this AU.

Chp 14

The report of the rifle wasn't even heard before Clark covered Tyler. Behind him he could hear Oliver and Chloe as they took refuge on the floor. It was several minutes before Clark moved off of him. He didn't even have a chance to process what had happened before Clark was pulling him inside. By the time Ollie made his way over to him, he was shaking. As his brother pulled him into a hug, Tyler held on for dear life. Fighting someone face-to-face was one thing, but having someone taking shots at you from a distance was something else entirely.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked, fear for his brother creeping into his voice. When he didn't get an answer, he forced Tyler to look at him. "Answer me Tyler Jonas Queen, are you okay?"

"I'm-- I'm not hit."

He sighed and pulled his brother into a hug again. "That's not what I asked kiddo." Not letting his brother go, he looked at Clark. "The cops are on their way. The gunshot has to be reported, but can you get the table cleared? I'd rather not have them asking why we've got a whole bunch of files on people sitting out."

Clark nodded. "No problem." He nodded at Tyler. "The stitches are bleeding a bit. Other than that nothing got hurt worse, but if he haven't bent down when he did--" He let the sentence go unfinished and went over to the living room. "Are you okay?" He asked, pulling Chloe in for a hug.

"Yeah, although I have to admit being that close to gunfire and it not being me that's getting shot at is new." She held onto Clark for a few moments more, then sighed. "Let's get this cleaned up before the cops get here."

While they cleaned up the living room, Oliver helped Tyler to the couch. Then he went over and poured his brother a shot of scotch. Tyler might not drink, but Ollie wasn't above forcing it on him in situations like this. He took it back over to him and sat beside his brother on the couch.

"Need you to drink this for me Ty."

He started to refuse, but Ollie took hold of his chin and made him look in his eyes.

"I wasn't asking if you wanted to drink it. I'm telling you to drink. Then I'm going to make sure you didn't bust any stitches. Okay?"

Tyler sighed and took the drink, knocking it back in one swallow, grimacing at the taste.

"Still don't know how the hell you can stand that stuff." He set the glass on the table.

"It's an acquired taste, but the scotch I save for emergencies like this." He nodded at his arm. "Let's get that cleaned up."

Before he could get up, Clark set the first aid kit on the table in front of him. "Cops are on the way up."

"Thanks Clark. Let them in when they get here please." He opened the kit and pulled on a pair of gloves, more worried about causing an infection for his brother than anything else. "Let's just hope you didn't bust any."

Tyler snorted. "Considering those stitches close up a hole in my vein? I hope the hell I didn't, too."

Ollie removed the gauze holding the pad over the stitches in place with the bandage sheers, then pulled it back slowly. Frowning, he started cleaning the area. "I don't think any of the internal stitches busted, but a couple of the outer ones did." He looked over as the cover to the elevator lifted and two Metropolis PD Detectives entered, nodding at them he went back to taking care of his brother's arm.

He leaned forward a bit, like he wasn't feeling well. "Clark can look after they leave." Then he let Ollie push him back up a bit as the suits got closer. "Long as I don't have to see a doc to get them redone."

"Mr. Queen, I'm Detective Tidwell. This is my partner, Detective Wilson. We need to ask you a few questions about the shooting."

Oliver nodded, then looked at Tyler. "My brother is actually the one that was shot at detective, not me."

The detective was caught flat-footed by that remark. He wasn't aware that there were two Queens in Metropolis or that Oliver Queen even had a brother. "Um, okay. Did you happen to get a look at where the shot came from?"

Ty looked up at him. "My name is Tyler Queen, Det. Tidwell. And no, I didn't see where the shot came from. I was coming back in from gazing at the city and bent down to pick up a pen I'd dropped. That's when the bullet hit the door frame where my head would have been." He hissed as Ollie cleaned the area on his arm with antiseptic, but didn't look at what his brother was doing, keeping his gaze on the detective.

Tidwell nodded at his partner to go check out what had been said, then looked down at the two young men. "What were you doing during this time Mr. Queen?"

Ollie didn't look up from applying the butterfly sutures to re-close the wound on his brother's arm. "I was going over some contracts for a deal that Queen Industries is working on. Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Kent were helping me out since they're both more familiar with the area than I am. Tyler had stepped out onto the balcony for fresh air and was coming back in when we heard the shot."

"And it was just the one shot?"

"Just the one detective." Tyler stated, "I hit the ground since the railing is solid and gives pretty good protection. When there wasn't another shot, I made my way inside and found out my brother had already called the police."

Detective Wilson came back in then. "There is a single bullet hole in the door frame coming back in and a couple spots of blood on the ground."

"The blood would be mine. I had an accident a few days ago and while receiving a blood transfusion, the needle became stuck in my vein. They had to operate to fix it. When I dove to the ground, I busted a couple of the outer stitches open."

"Shouldn't a doctor be taking a look at you if that's the case?"

"I'll make sure he sees his physician later, Detective Tidwell, but for now, it's not serious or we would not be here for you to talk to." He placed a gauze pad over the area on Ty's arm, then wrapped it back up, taping the end in place. Only then did he take a seat next to his brother on the couch.

Tidwell made a couple of notes while Wilson finished talking to Clark and Chloe, then nodded. "Well, I guess we have everything we need for now. Do you have any idea who might want to take a shot at either one of you?"

Tyler chuckled softly. "Detective, my brother is the CEO of Queen Industries. For two years, I served in that capacity before turning it back over to him and returning to school. We're both rich and currently single." He left off any mention or hint of either of them being involved. "There are hearts all over that have been broken by one of us, people we've beaten in the board room or on the athletic fields that are pissed at us and that doesn't even count the people we might have pissed off inadvertently by just living. So please, take your pick from any of those lists."

The detective turned slightly red. "Don't leave the city in case we need to speak to any of you again." He left with his partner, leaving the quartet alone once again in the penthouse.

Chloe took a seat across from the two brothers, raising an eyebrow at them. "How often have you two done something like that before?"

"A lot." The blonde brothers spoke in unison, earning a grin from everyone.

"Just been a while." This came from Tyler as he sat back against the cushions on the couch.

Ollie nodded. "Think the last time was when Tyler 'accidentally' keyed an investor's brand new Spyder." He grinned. "Course, the guy helped in doing it, but since he was currently engaged to a lovely woman, it wouldn't have looked good if he'd said he was with Ty at the time. Took a bit of doing, but we smoothed things over."

Both of Chloe's eyebrows shot up. "You're gay?!"

Tyler shook his head. "No, like my brother I play for both sides." He shrugged. "Can't help who you're attracted to and life's too short to regret missed opportunities at love."

Clark shook his head and X-rayed Tyler's arm. "The internal stitches are good Ty. Looks like you got lucky."

"Guess you could say he dodged a bullet." Chloe grinned, then started laughing as she had a few pillows tossed at her. "Sorry, but you all left it open for that."

Ollie shook his head, then sat back. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that someone's definitely trying to kill you Tyler."

The younger Queen raised an eyebrow at his brother. "The poisoning wasn't a big enough clue that someone was already trying to do that?"

"Yeah, but the poison was a long term thing." Ollie pointed out. "This is just someone that wants you dead, now."

"Which means it probably isn't the same person that was behind the poisoning." The younger Queen finished speaking then sighed.

"Doesn't mean they are working separately," Clark stated, "They could be teaming up and one's pushing you back to the other."

The room was silent for a few minutes before Oliver broke it.

"Clark's right. Normally, after something like this, I'd suggest we get back to Howard Hill since it's harder to get to any of us on the grounds. With Dr. Douglas refusing to let you travel right now, it's not an option."

"Which means either they're working together or it's two people carrying out different agendas." This came from Chloe, who had retrieved Tyler's laptop and opened it up again. "Let's see if either of our two suspects would be capable of doing this." She turned it around so that Tyler could type in his password.

"And if they're not working together, then we're going to have to keep on our toes." Tyler finished typing in his password to unlock the computer, then typed in another one at the next prompt. When he turned the laptop back around to face Chloe, there were over 40 sub-files for her to look at in the file he'd opened.

"This might take some time." She was already starting to go through the information as she spoke.

"We're not going anywhere anytime soon." Oliver stated. "I want you two to stay here until this guy is caught. Just in case he's not afraid of using someone else as pawns."

"I'll take a quick trip to get clothes for Chloe and I."

"While you're gone, I'll get lunch started." Ollie stood up, giving Tyler's shoulder a squeeze. "Why don't you stretch out here on the couch for a bit, keep that arm still and--" He stopped when he noticed that Tyler had already drifted off into sleep again. Shaking his head as Clark left, he settled Tyler down and tossed a blanket over him.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then looked at Chloe. "You doing okay Chloe?"

She looked up at him and gave him a slight smile. "Yeah, I'm okay Ollie. Kinda freaked me out for a few minutes, but I'm okay now."

Ollie nodded and went to the kitchen to start lunch, glad to have something to do at the moment. His brother was just coming back into his life on a more permanent basis with school pretty much over. The poison was out of his system and he was starting to recover from the after effects. Now, he had to worry about snipers as well. The carrots he was cutting up received the brunt of his frustration as he worked.

Almost a mile away, the figure had watched the detectives come in and talk to the four people who had been in the penthouse through his scope. Beneath the black wraparound shades, his face split into an evil leer. Now, they were on edge and would be worried. Worried people made mistakes. And the first time Tyler or Oliver Queen made a mistake, they'd be dead. He packed up his gear, left the shell casing on the rail he'd used to prop his rifle up with and left the parking garage.


	15. Chp 15 Respite

Don't own Smallville or any of the characters associated with it. Tyler is mine. Want to borrow him? Ask and I'll give you his info long as you credit.

Please review. Reviews, especially those containing constructive criticism, help me make the story better. If you don't want to do a public review or have questions about something, PM me. Thanks for those that have read and reviewed. As always, I'll try to reward you with a sneak peak of sorts.

This chapter is a short respite from all the heavy drama. Another chapter to come soon.

Chp 15

Ollie raised an eyebrow as Tyler got up and started pacing while he read a file. He put down the one Ty had given him earlier and watched his brother for a moment. Shaking his head, he tossed a paper wad at Clark. When the brunette looked up at him, he nodded towards Tyler.

Clark watched the younger Queen for a few moments, then shook his head. Lunch had been quiet and since then they'd gone back to going over what they knew. For the most part, they'd all been quiet except when something particular had been found and they talked it over. Now, watching Tyler, Clark could tell that he was getting antsy.

Tyler finally stopped pacing, but instead of taking a seat, he started sliding towards the floor in a split. When he stopped, he was in an almost perfect split, the file on the floor in front of him, while he rested on his elbows.

"What are you doing?" Ollie asked, raising an eyebrow at his brother's position.

Chloe's head came up at the question and she looked around. Following Clark and Ollie's stares, she noticed Tyler and found herself speechless, especially when he raised his head up and looked at Ollie.

"Had to move. Been too long since I've really done anything. I'm not using my wrist, resting on my ribs or putting a lot of weight on my other arm with the stitches. Just needed to do something."

"Technically, you're still supposed to be on bed rest until you see Bryan next week. I don't think he'd be too happy with you 'doing something'."

"Come on Ollie. It's not like you've never worked out or done something hurt. Least I didn't sneak out."

Oliver rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his spiky hair.

Clark chuckled softly at the look of exasperation on Oliver's face and walked over to him. Bending down he whispered in his ear. "Think he's getting cabin fever yet?"

The warm breath on his ear made him shiver, but he only nodded. "Definitely. Kinda surprised it's taken this long."

Chloe finally shook her head. "Men." Getting up, she walked over and pulled the file out from under Tyler, earning her an eyebrow from the younger Queen. "You all think you're so invincible."

Ty sighed and went the rest of the way to the floor, then rolled onto his back. "Sorry, it's just I'm not used to sitting around, even if I'm sick or hurt." He flipped his legs over his head and came to his feet in one motion.

Clark raised an eyebrow at the move. "So how long have you been into gymnastics and martial arts again?"

Oliver laughed aloud as Tyler blushed. "The decision was made for him to start in gymnastics when he was 7 because he couldn't sit still. They tested him for hyperactivity disorders, but found out that he was just high strung. Couple of months after he started, he actually started calming down."

"Yeah, but I scared the hell outta Ollie the first break we had together after I started."

_13 years ago_

_Tyler glared at the ball that was stuck on the edge of the roof. He knew that he wasn't allowed out there, but Donald was helping Ollie with something so he was playing by himself. Looking around, he went over to the tree that was closest to that part of the house and started climbing._

_Ollie grinned as he finished helping Donald with the brownies for their snack and went outside to find his little brother. He frowned when he didn't see him right off and started looking further away from the house. Slowly, he started turning around as a noise from behind him caught his attention. When he looked up, his heart fell to his feet and his mouth went dry. His little brother was on a branch close to the roof and then suddenly jumped. It was all he could do not to shout at Tyler, but his fear that him calling to the boy would make him fall kept him silent. Instead, he watched awed and horrified at the same time. His brother moved with an easy grace to retrieve the ball, then let it fall to the ground while he went back over to the edge. Ollie started towards the tree at a jog._

_Once he'd gotten the ball and tossed it down, he went back over to the edge. It never occurred to him to be afraid as he jumped and caught the limb he'd used to get onto the roof in the first place. He let his legs swing for a few moments before he dropped to the next limb down and straddled it, moving closer to the trunk so he could finish climbing down. When he reached the bottom, he was immediately wrapped in his brother's arms._

"_You scared the hell out of me Tyler Jonas Queen. What were you doing?"_

"_You were busy and I didn't want to bother you. So I just went and got my ball back." He shrugged. "It wasn't hard. Kinda like gymnastics class."_

_He sighed and knelt before turning his brother around to face him. "I want you to be careful Tyler, okay? If you want to work on some of your gymnastics stuff while we're home, let me know. That way I can spot you. Promise me."_

_Tyler stared into his brother's eyes, then nodded. "I promise Ollie."_

Chloe shook her head, grinning. "Sounds like you were a little daredevil."

"Not really. Heights don't bug me and they never really have. Ollie might have gotten more attention for some of his antics, but it's not like I'm a saint." He grinned wickedly. "I just do things a bit more subtly."

Clark busted out laughing at the look that came over Oliver's face.

"Subtle? You're subtle? How is base jumping from the Eiffel Tower at night subtle? Or 'test driving' street bikes on city streets subtle?"

"Well, I didn't get caught on the base jump--"

"Because you got blown off course and into the river!"

Tyler snorted. "Still didn't get caught. And I ended up buying two of the bikes while making a donation to the police department for their trouble."

Ollie just shook his head and looked over where Chloe was red in the face and laughing silently, tears running out of her eyes.

"Just go ahead and laugh Chloe, don't want you hurting yourself."

Clark laughed softly and shook his head.

The younger Queen rolled his eyes at them and went into the kitchen.

"Something from the list Tyler." Ollie could only imagine the glare he was getting, but his brother wasn't too happy about having to follow the diet that had been laid out for him. While most of what he normally ate was included, there were some other items on there that he needed to help his body recover. Those were the ones arguments had been starting over.

Clark blushed when his hearing picked up on some of the words that Tyler was saying. "Wow, don't think I've ever heard that come out like that in English, much less French or Spanish."

"My brother does have a rather impressive vocabulary." He shook his head as said brother came out with a glass of orange juice.

"I was just thirsty and tired of water or milk. Would really like a cup of coffee, but that's still another 3-4 weeks down the road." He took a long drink of the juice and set the glass on the table. "So are we cooking or ordering in tonight?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Hungry?" Tyler actually asking about food was something that hadn't happened since he'd been poisoned and released from the clinic. Hopefully, it meant the spacing they'd come up with to try today was actually going to work.

"A little. I'm sure by the time we agree on something and if we're going to cook or order in, I'll actually feel more like eating."

Ollie walked over from the desk and put a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "You, are so not cooking."

"I can cook."

"Box mac & cheese, canned soup, Ramen and spaghetti is not a lot to master. So unless your culinary skills have improved dramatically, you're not cooking."

"How about we order in?" This came from Clark, who was sitting next to Chloe, both of them grinning at the brothers.

Ollie nodded. "You and Chloe can choose this time." He looked at his brother. "Come on, let's help you work off a bit of this energy you've got." Despite not wanting to, he'd written an email to Dr. Douglas and asked him if it would be okay for his brother to do some light yoga movements. The reply had been a hesitant yes with a reminder that he wasn't to do anything that would stress either arm. "Got permission for some basic yoga for you."

Tyler grinned. "Works for me." He got up and went to his room to change clothes. When he came back out in a pair of yoga pants and muscle shirt, Oliver was already changed and had two mats already set up. "Thanks Ollie."

"Don't thank me yet little brother." He ruffled the slightly shorter blonde's hair. "Remember, no Down Dogs or anything that'll put pressure on either arm, including handstands." When he got a nod in answer, he started leading his brother through a light yoga routine.

Chloe watched them for a few moments, then turned to Clark, shaking her head. "If it wasn't for the cast on Tyler's wrist and bandage on the other arm, I'd have a hard time telling them apart."

The brunette watched the two brothers for a moment. "Ollie's a bit more fluid in his movements. From what he's said, he tries to do a little everyday. Think Ty's got a little much on his plate to be that consistent with it, but you can tell he knows what he's doing."

Oliver watched his brother move through the poses, correcting him every once in a while and watched as he physically relaxed. He knew Tyler's restlessness would eventually get to him, which is what had prompted him to email Bryan. Yoga was the one thing he knew that would get his brother moving, be a challenge for him and still not stress anything that couldn't handle it. If anything, he was proud of Tyler.

For the most part, he'd been well behaved when it came to sticking to the meal plans and meds. Even the lack of activity had been tolerated until today. Personally, he thought that was more from being shot at than actual cabin fever and needing the release that exercise of some sort would bring.

When he saw the beginnings of a tremble in one of Tyler's forms almost an hour later, he called a halt. "That's it kiddo. Why don't you go get a shower? Cover the cast, but the stitches can dry before we re-bandage them."

Tyler nodded and brought his hands together at heart level and bowed his head slightly. "Namaste." When Ollie returned the traditional thank you, he went to get cleaned up.

Once his brother was out of sight, Ollie flipped up into a handstand. The position helped him think and clear his head.

Clark grinned when he saw him. "Show off."

"Helps me think." He held the position for a few more minutes, then flipped back to his feet. "Figured if Tyler didn't do something soon, he'd go crazy. Yoga was the least physical of any of the activities he knows."

"You've both been doing it for a while, haven't you?"

"I started taking lessons at Excelsior. The classes were actually off the campus, but we were allowed to attend once you hit 11th grade. When I started college, I would teach Tyler on breaks and when I dropped in to visit. He never took the classes offered out in town, but with everything else he did, the time wasn't really there for him to be able to do it." He wiped his face off with a towel.

"When he turned 15, I got him interested in stuff going on with the company. He started taking fewer classes at Excelsior and more at Star City University. So, the more he was around, the more I'd teach him. Became a routine for us to get up early enough in the mornings to have the time together. I've pretty much made him keep up with it, even if it's only once a week on his own. You can tell the difference when he does from when he forgets or doesn't have the time."

Clark leaned in and kissed him as he wrapped his arms around his waist. He kept it light, then rested his forehead against Oliver's. "I think Tyler is very lucky to have a brother like you." He kissed him again, nipping at his lower lip. "And I think it was a big stroke of luck for us to find each other as well."

Ollie kissed him back. "Think I'm lucky to have him for a brother and you as well." He sighed. "I should really get a shower before dinner."

Chloe cleared her throat. "Please do." She chuckled softly as Clark blushed and Ollie grinned. "As entertaining as it is to watch you two, especially after the little show Ollie and Tyler gave us" She pointed at Oliver. "Your brother needs to eat soon and dinner should be here in about 20 minutes."

"Yes ma'am." Ollie winked at her, then headed off to take a shower while Clark went back to looking through files.

She grinned again and went back over to Tyler's laptop where she was still going through the vast amounts of data he'd opened up to her. She was certainly having to rethink her position on the Queen boys when it came to their resources and what they could obtain.


	16. Chp 16 Serious

Standard disclaimer applies. Only Tyler is mine.

Keep the reviews coming and I'll keep answering them.

Chp 16

Tyler sighed as the warm water cascaded over him. It had felt really good to be able to do something physical after days of not even wanting to think about moving. The past week had been busy. His arrival in Metropolis had been fine and while he'd worried about Ollie's reception, that had gone over well. It was the finding out he was being poisoned and spending time in the clinic only to get shot at that was spoiling things for him.

As he finished washing off and just stood under the water, he couldn't help but wonder how much he should tell his brother. Sooner or later, Oliver was going to find out the rest of the reason why he'd come to Metropolis. And if that source wasn't Tyler, there was going to be hell to pay. Shaking his head, he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. After he dried off, he pulled on a clean pair of boxers and sweatpants, but left the shirt off for now. The area around the cast needed to dry completely and Ollie was going to re-bandage his arm, so the shirt could wait.

Chloe looked over at him as he came out of the bedroom while Clark got their food from the delivery boy. She blushed slightly, but didn't comment on his state of dress. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, shower helped along with the workout." He went over to the counter where his meds were kept and checked what he needed to take against the time. "So did you find anything in the files?"

"I did, but Ollie said we'd go over it while we ate." She grabbed plates and silverware while he took his meds.

It wasn't until they'd actually finished eating that they started talking about what Chloe had found in his files, which Ollie brought up.

"So you want to tell me the other reason why you came to Metropolis?"

Tyler paled slightly. He knew that his brother would figure out that he'd been holding something back. It shouldn't have surprised him to be questioned about it, but he was taken slightly off guard.

He was quiet a few moments before the started speaking. "Couple of days before the disaster with the demo team, I could have sworn that I was being followed. Just felt like I was being watched. Tried a couple of times to figure out if I had a tail or not, but was out of luck. Then I chalked it up to just being over-tired."

No one said anything as they watched the youngest Queen. It was obvious, even to Chloe, that what had happened both bothered and frightened him.

"When Andrew took me home the night I got my wrist broke, there was a letter for me." He nodded towards the laptop. "That's what I scanned into the computer. Basically told me that if I didn't watch myself, I could end up like my parents. Or worse, as an only child."

Ollie got up and moved over to sit next to his brother. "You should have called me."

"It was a threat Ollie. I've been getting them off and on since you disappeared four years ago. And it's not like you've never had them before either." He sighed. "Couple days after I started back to classes, my advisor pulled me into his office. Told me that a complaint had been filed against me with the campus police for assault. The only things that saved my ass from being charged were Mr. Reeves and security footage from Howard Hill that showed I hadn't left since arriving there the previous Wednesday."

Clark frowned. "Do you know how filed the charges?"

"Don't really remember, but Reeves would have that information. Truthfully, I was still hurting a bit when I went in there. If it wasn't for the fact that the demo coach had already made a statement to them the day it happened, things might have been worse for me."

"Sounds like someone was trying to get you out of the picture." This came from Chloe. "Or at the very least keep you occupied."

"Yeah well, the feeling of being followed didn't go away. With Andrew driving me back and forth, I didn't have to worry about something happening with my car. Around campus, however, things were different." He blushed slightly. "I know that my head wasn't exactly where it needed to be and that my focus was definitely off, but I know that someone was following me. Never got a look at them though."

"Dammit Tyler, you should have told me sooner. Whoever was following you there could be the one that took a shot at you here."

Tyler stood up and looked at his brother, who rose to stand in front of him. "You might be my older brother Oliver, but you're not my keeper. I have to live my life just like you have to live yours. That means I have to do some things on my own."

"This is not one of those things Ty. Someone is after you and they might be going after you to get to me. The damn letter even hinted to that. If nothing else, you should have told me because my life might have been in danger as well."

He watched as his brother spun away from him and walked off to start pacing again near the balcony. Nothing was said for several minutes and he could feel his heart slow its racing. Tyler's scream of rage and frustration sent it racing once again.

Clark moved quickly and stopped the younger Queen from throwing a punch at the wall. He wrapped his arms around him and sank to the floor, not letting him move. "Relax Tyler. Just calm down and relax." He knew that if it hadn't been for his super speed, he never would have been able to grab the younger blonde and hold onto him.

Oliver had watched, stunned, as Clark stopped his brother from putting a hole in the wall with his casted hand. While watching them, he realized that Tyler wasn't relaxing at all nor was his breathing slowing down. If anything, it was speeding up. He made his way to the pair and knelt beside his brother.

"You need to slow your breathing down Tyler. This isn't going to help anything." He nodded at Clark to loosen his hold slightly. "Come on, slow it down Ty."

Chloe moved closer, frowning. "Is he okay?"

"He will be, but I'd rather not have to halfway smother him to get him to calm down." It was the fact that is brother didn't respond in any way to what he'd said, that caused him to suddenly push Clark out of the way and pull his brother in to lean against his chest. One hand rested on Tyler's forehead, holding it tight against his own body while his legs moved over his brother's, pinning them to the ground. His free hand moved up towards Ty's face, lightly covering his mouth and pinching one side of his nose shut, thus forcing his brother to breath his own carbon dioxide and take slower breaths. He leaned his head down a bit and started whispering in his brother's ear as he held him.

Clark was shocked at what Oliver was doing, but Chloe's hand on his arm stopped him from reacting. "He's helping him Clark." She'd read about a bear hug technique used as a physical intervention skill in dealing with people that were being combative. It made her wonder just where Oliver had learned it or why he did it so easily.

At first, Tyler tried to fight Oliver's hold, but as he finally came back to his senses and could hear his brother's whispered words, he stopped fighting and relaxed.

As soon as he felt the shift, Ollie released his hand from over Ty's face and pulled his brother against him, keeping the one hand on his forehead and placing the other in the center of his chest. He also let go of his legs as he changed position a bit.

"You with me yet?"

Tyler sighed. "Yeah, I'm with you." He rested against his brother, exhausted. "Sorry you had to resort to that."

"Just glad it still works. Don't think it would have if you were healthy." As he spoke, Oliver gently rubbed his brother's chest. "Anything hurt?"

"Other than my pride? Chest is a little sore, but I kinda expect that." Ty still hadn't moved. "Guess I let myself get spooked by all of this."

"I'd be worried if you weren't spooked by all of this Tyler, but you don't have to do it alone. The strongest people in the world are those that are supported by friends and family. It doesn't make you weak. They become a source of strength and wisdom. By standing alone, you're just setting yourself up to fall."

He chuckled softly and relaxed against his brother. "When did you get so smart?"

"I've always been smart, but it's taken me a while to gain some wisdom to go with it."

Chloe walked over to the pair and knelt beside them. "I hate to interrupt guys, but we need to try and find out who sent that letter to Tyler. If we do, then maybe we can find out who took the shot at him. This guy might be connected to the man that hired Derek Austin."

Oliver stood up, bringing Tyler with him as he got to his feet, but he didn't let go of his little brother. "You're right, but tomorrow. Tonight, I think we need to just relax, all of us."

Clark nodded. "Sounds like an idea to me." He grinned at Chloe. "Why don't you pick a movie and I'll make some popcorn?"

She grinned. "Oh, you so shouldn't have said that." Shaking her head, she made her way over to the cabinet that held Ollie's movies and opened it, looking for one she would enjoy.

With is X-ray vision, Clark did a quick once over of Tyler. "You didn't mess anything up, but no more excitement for the day, please." He ruffled the younger Queen's hair and went to make them all some popcorn.

Ollie led his brother to the couch and forced him to sit down. "Tyler, I'm not mad at you. I'm worried about you, but not mad. You know you can talk to me about anything. Yes, I might get angry with you, but I've never judged you for your mistakes." He put his hand on the back of his brother's neck and pulled him in til their foreheads touched. "You're the only family I've got left and I don't want to see you get hurt. It scared the hell out of me to find out you'd been poisoned and watching you bleed like you did was not a help. Then to have you shot at?" Ollie shook his head. "I'm supposed to protect you and I felt useless knowing that I couldn't have stopped that bullet if it had hit you."

Tyler sighed. "You can't protect me from everything Ollie. You are right though, I should have told you about the letter. It's just--" He raised his head a bit and met his brother's eyes. "I have tried so hard to get back into the flow of things at school. Kept pushing myself to catch back up with the people I entered with. When I competed, I let others take the glory because it was their chance to actually make a name for themselves." His head dropped again. "All because I didn't want to be in the public eye. I hate being in the spotlight. Least for this kind of stuff."

"I know." He held his brother close. Give Tyler a charity or benefit dinner to attend, and he was right at home. Let him win a race and he blushed like there was no tomorrow and became tongue tied. No, his little brother might be a daredevil at heart, but he was more like a sentinel or guard, standing watch over those that could not take care of themselves.

Chloe walked back over to the pair. "No more serious stuff for tonight." She held up a movie. "Let's have some fun." Walking over to the entertainment center, she deposited the dvd into the player before coming back over to the couch. It was like an unspoken arrangement that they all ended up on the same one. Tyler was between Oliver and Clark, with Chloe on the other side of Clark. She grinned knowingly. The Queen boys might be the only blood kin each had left, but there was no way that either one of them could be considered alone anymore.

Shortly after "National Treasure" had ended, Clark had picked Chloe up and carried her to the guest bedroom. He pulled the covers back and gently set her down, then pulled them back up. Grinning, he turned the light off and left the room, closing the door behind him. When he made it back out to the living room, he found it empty. Frowning, he made his way to Tyler's room and spotted him giving Ollie a hard time about something. Once he figured out what it was, he leaned against the door frame, grinning.

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't be embarrassed Ollie, Clark's cute and you should go for it."

Ollie shook his head. "I am not taking relationship advice from my little brother." He reached out and ruffled his brother's hair. "Do you know how weird it is? I mean, I'm supposed to be giving you advice about the people you love."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "That may be, but I'm still telling you to go for it." He took the last of his meds and started to lay down.

"Hang on. How sore are you? And don't lie to me."

"Hurt a bit, but nothing that'll keep me awake."

"That's not the point Tyler." Clark came into the room then. "The point is you shouldn't hurt period." He handed the bottle of oil to Ollie. "Figured you might want this."

"Thanks Clark." He took the massage oil and put a little in his hands. "Give me your back Ty." After growing up with his brother, he knew how sore he'd be in the morning if this wasn't done now.

"You know, if you two are going to gang up on me, maybe I should rethink my permission about you two seeing each other." He laid down on his stomach, using a pillow to help keep the pressure off his ribs. All other thoughts fled from him as Ollie started working on his sore muscles. The exercise had felt great, but it had been a while since he'd worked out. Now, the massage felt just as good. As he relaxed, he let himself drift off into sleep.

When he finished, Oliver pulled the blankets up over his brother and left the room with Clark. They went to his bedroom, but before he could go to wash his hands off, Clark had them both stripped and in the bed.

"In a hurry for something?"

Clark grinned at him. "Just figured we could find a better use for that oil instead of washing it away."

"Oh, you figured that out did you?" The blonde grinned at him as he started stroking his oil slicked hands over the smooth expanse of skin and muscle, eliciting a groan from the brunette. "Well then, let's not waste it." He leaned in and kissed the younger man. It started out soft and sweet, but it ended up much more than that.


	17. Chp 17 Family Squabbles

Still don't own anything or anyone except Tyler. Maybe I'll get lucky and get it willed to me.

Thanks for the reviews. They're deeply appreciated and well rewarded.

Chp 17

Tyler sighed as he got out of bed. He'd been in Metropolis for almost 3 weeks now. The cast on his wrist had been replaced by a rigid brace and he was allowed to start some of his normal activities as long as he didn't strain the still healing wrist. Even the small incision on his right arm had healed, leaving a pink scar in its place. Stretching, he removed the brace from his wrist and went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. Ollie was going to be in meetings all day, so he would have to entertain himself.

As he stood under the warm spray, he couldn't help but wonder when they were going to get their next break. There had been no more attempts on his life, but then again, today was the first day he'd been on his own. Clark was supposed to be out at the farm today and Chloe had to be at the Daily Planet. To date, they hadn't been able to connect Mark Jacobs to Derek Austin. The cops were currently looking for Derek, as well as some of Ollie's people. The other four students that had been involved had all been arrested and were willing to roll over on Derek for leniency.

He finished washing and leaned against the tiles for a few minutes, letting the water massage his back while his thoughts continued to ponder everything they knew so far. Even now, they were no closer to finding who had shot at him than they were the day it happened. Ballistics matched the bullet to a number of killings, both in the States and abroad, over the years, but no real suspects. Shaking his head, he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He finished his morning routines and wrapped the towel around his waist before going into his room to get dressed.

Oliver looked up from the morning paper and arched an eyebrow at his brother. The younger Queen was dressed in a pair of dark khaki pants that seemed to hug him and a deep blue button up shirt. He'd left the top two buttons undone and the cuffs were rolled up slightly. "Going somewhere special?"

"No, just figured I'd look around a bit, stay in a crowd." He started making himself something to eat. "Clark already gone?"

"Yeah, he left about an hour ago when you were still sleeping."

He helped himself to a glass of orange juice, then snatched the sports page from his brother. "If you two want to be alone for dinner tonight, I'm sure I can find something to keep myself entertained."

Oliver shot coffee all over the article he was reading. "Oh hell no! I know what kind of trouble you get into when you do that."

Tyler looked over at his brother, a hurt puppy look on his face. "Me? Get into trouble?"

"That look doesn't work with me Tyler Jonas Queen, so hang it up." Ollie watched as Ty spread cream cheese on the bagel he'd toasted. "If you get really bored today, I've got a pair of glasses that are acting up."

"Sorry, that's not my field. You know who to talk to about them." He was quiet for a moment. "When are you going to tell him?"

"I'll tell him Tyler, but right now we've got a few other things that are more important. Like finding out who took that shot at you and if Mark Jacobs really is the one that hired Derek Austin to poison you."

"I do have a couple of ideas for new arrows, but it'll have to wait until I can fully use my wrist again." He took a drink of juice. "Speaking of, Bryan finally cleared me to start swimming again and I can get back into pretty much everything but a lot of tumbling and off floor work."

"But he still hasn't cleared you for travel yet, has he?"

"No, says my counts are still fluctuating too much for him to do that. Wants me to add an iron supplement to my meds for a few months."

"There's a couple of whole food stores that might have one you would be willing to use and if it works, with your normal diet, it wouldn't hurt to keep taking it."

Tyler rolled his eyes at him. "So what are the meetings about today?"

"Why don't you come by the office and find out?"

"Oh yeah, and that'll go over real well. Someone's bound to think that I'm after their job." He shook his head. "I'll stick to the R & D side of things. If I decide to stick around here, which it's looking like I might, then I can still commute when I need to for meetings and such."

"Or you can just work in the R & D department here."

"Maybe. As it is I've still got one project I'm working on, but so far we haven't been able to get the prototype to work properly."

"Well, the lab here is open to you if you need it." He cleaned up his mess and tossed the ruined paper in the trash. "I'll call you later about dinner. I might take Clark out tonight."

"Alright, you have my number." He watched his brother leave and then finished eating. After cleaning up the kitchen a bit, he set the alarms and left. Refusing the offer of the limo, he started walking the streets of Metropolis. True, he'd come here with Ollie shortly after the merger was completed 5 months ago, but that was mainly to set up their rooms in the penthouse. Now, he was getting to explore the actual city.

Three hours later, he sat at an outside table at a small cafe finishing his lunch. Tyler had finally decided how to spend the rest of his day and that required him going back to the penthouse to change. Once inside, he turned off the alarms and went to his room. It probably wasn't a good idea, but he needed time to think. This way, he was sure to get it. After changing into jeans, a Henley and his boots, he grabbed his jacket and helmet. On his way back out, he reset the alarms and went down to the garage. Grinning, he peeled the cover back on his bike. The dark blue Ducati had been a present from Ollie when the move to Metropolis had been finalized. He'd ridden it a few times, but not enough to really enjoy it yet. Now, he had the time.

Straddling the bike, he slipped his jacket on and zipped it up, then pulled his gloves out of his helmet. Quickly he started the bike, letting it idle for a few minutes as he put on the helmet and gloves, then eased it out of the garage. He set out on the road, just happy to be going somewhere. When he saw the sign for Smallville, he made the turn and started that way.

It was almost an hour later when he stopped to put gas in the bike. He hadn't filled it before he left last time and the break was needed. His phone started ringing as he finished paying for the gas and a bottle of water.

"Queen."

"So, I decide to come up and see if you want lunch only to find out that you've left." Ollie paused, trying to keep his anger from coming out fully. "On your bike and alone. Are you nuts or do you just have a death wish?"

Tyler sighed. He was hoping to be back before Ollie had even noticed he was gone. "Neither. I can take care of myself Oliver." Finishing off the water, he tossed the bottle in the trash.

"Where are you Tyler?"

"What if I don't feel like telling you? You're my brother Oliver, not my father."

"I can trace your phone you know."

"And I can remove the GPS chip in it."

"Dammit Tyler. That sniper is still out there!"

"You think I don't know that?! Fuck Ollie, I'm the one he shot at! I know exactly what could have happened that day. I'll be home later." He hung up and turned his phone off before Ollie could hit re-dial. Forcing himself to take a few minutes, he paced by his bike before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Then he got back on and started the rest of the way to Smallville.

"God damn him!" Ollie tossed his phone onto his desk as Clark walked in, causing the brunette to frown at him.

"Something wrong?"

"Considering Tyler is who-knows-where on a motorcycle? Yeah, I'd say something's wrong." He sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry Clark. Just worried about him. I have no right to take it out on you."

He made his way over to his lover and wrapped his arms around him. "Take it you lost your temper with him?"

A soft blush crept over the blonde's features. "Tried not to, but--"

"He can take care of himself Ollie. If he's not back in a couple of hours, I'll start looking for him. Maybe Chloe can turn his cellphone on remotely."

Ollie nodded, then groaned. "His bike. It's got a tracking unit on it."

"Let's give him the couple of hours first. Otherwise, it's just going to piss him off more."

Tyler eased the bike to a stop in front of a coffee house called The Talon and parked, then went inside, removing his helmet and gloves as he did. As he looked at the menu, he ran a hand through his hair, bringing a bit of life back to the flattened blonde locks. While he waited for his order, he took a look around. He knew that Clark was from Smallville and this little glimpse of the town helped him get a better understanding of how Clark grew up. Taking his drink and giving the barista a grin, he turned and almost ran into Lex Luthor.

"Sorry about that." He tried to step around the bald billionaire, but a hand in the middle of his chest stopped him. Slowly, he looked up from the hand to the face it belonged to. "Move it Luthor."

"Since when did you grace any city other than Star City with your presence Tyler? Or are you looking for something else to make a conquest?"

"Considering who that's coming from, maybe you should be the one practicing how to make a conquest, baldy." Tyler moved to step away again as a fist connected with his jaw. Glaring, he felt the split I his lip with his tongue. "Any other day Luthor and you'd be paying for that."

"Yeah well, considering that Queens can't hit for a damn, it wouldn't hurt."

Tyler nodded and moved like he was going to leave. Then, without warning, he put his drink down and dropped his helmet, then punched Lex in the face, breaking his nose. "I told you years ago, pick one of us to threaten, but don't make threats about one to the other." He picked his stuff up along with his drink and left. Outside, he took a few drinks of the mocha he'd ordered, then tossed the rest. His run in with Lex had done nothing to improve his mood since talking with Ollie. Now, more than ever he needed to clear his head and think. He was out of the small town in minutes, not really caring where he was going.

Clark had tried to distract Oliver for the past two hours, but when the time came and went with no call from Tyler, he couldn't control his lover any longer. It had taken a quick call to Chloe, along with a promised explanation later, to get the information that he needed. Then he sighed and went out to the balcony where Oliver was standing. "He's in Smallville. Or rather, just outside Smallville."

Oliver shook his head. "He shouldn't be out that far. Hell, he shouldn't even be on that bike right now."

"You can't control him Ollie. Much as you want to protect him, he's too much like you to take it for very long. This is his way of striking back. Chloe's going to keep an eye on his position. If he doesn't start heading back soon, I'll go get him."

He sighed and leaned against the brunette. "Thanks Clark."

It was after midnight before he finally made his way back into the elevator. He'd stopped at a diner on the outskirts of Metropolis and gotten something to eat. Now, his head was hurting from the meds he'd missed throughout the day and he was exhausted. Plus, he still had a rather unpleasant conversation with his brother coming up that he was not looking forward to at all. Stepping out of the elevator, he was met by not only Oliver, but Clark as well. He sighed and put his helmet and jacket on hooks near the door.

As soon as his brother stepped off the elevator, Oliver was prepared to light into him, but seeing the new bruise on his jaw and the pain that was evident in his eyes stopped him. "What happened?"

"Ran into Lex. We kinda had a difference of opinion. He tried to start something, but I finished it before he could get it going." He squinted slightly, the lights bothering his eyes. "I'm going to bed." Moving towards his bedroom, he was stopped by his brother's hand in his chest while the other gently cupped his chin, forcing him to meet his brother's eyes.

"Didn't take any of your meds after breakfast, did you?" He could see the pupils that were dilated when they should have been slightly constricted due to the lights.

"Forgot them, now my head is killing me. Stopped at a diner to eat before coming home." Once again, he tried to get to his room, but this time he was removed from his feet by Clark, who carried effortlessly into his room.

No words were exchanged between the trio as Tyler was helped into a pair of sweatpants to sleep in and then given his meds. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow. Settling him beneath the covers, Ollie kissed his forehead. "I love you little brother, but sometimes you drive me apeshit."

Ollie sighed and let Clark hold him as they exited Tyler's room. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"He might not be feeling so hot tomorrow. Smallville's at least a hour from here. To go there and back, plus wherever else he went." He shook his head. "He might just sleep tomorrow."

"Either way, we need to talk about what happened today. And I do owe him an apology."

"Tonight, let's just get some rest." Clark picked his lover up and carried him into the bedroom. He kissed him softly as he stripped all of their clothes off and climbed into bed with him. "Just sleep." He kissed he back of Ollie's neck as the blonde relaxed against him. Arms circled each other's waist as the pair dropped off into sleep, both slightly worried about what the new day would bring.


	18. Chp 18 Morning Afters and Interludes

Okay, so I only own Tyler, but a girl can dream can't she?

There's a little blue button on the bottom of the page... press it. Let me know how I'm doing. Please?

Chp 18

Tyler opened his eyes slowly, then closed them again as the sunlight seemed to pierce his skull. He groaned slightly, then felt the bed sink a bit before a hand landed on his arm. From the lack of callouses, he figured it was Clark.

"Just shoot me now."

Clark chuckled softly. "Sorry, can't do that. Oliver would kill me." He got up and shut the blinds and pulled the drapes tight, cutting out most of the natural light in the room. "He had to take a couple of meetings, but Ollie wanted to make sure you took your meds and got some rest today.

He sighed. "Least I don't have to do anything." He let the brunette help him sit up a bit.

Frowning, Clark watched as the blonde paled at the change in position. "Tyler? You okay?"

"Think I'm going to be sick."

Quickly, Clark picked him up and carried him to the bathroom. Then helped him hold himself up as he lost what little he had in his stomach before it turned into dry heaves. Only when he was sure the blonde was finished, did he let him go long enough to hand him a glass of water.

Ty took the glass and rinsed his mouth, then handed it back before sighing. "Don't think this is from missing my meds yesterday. At least not all of it is from that."

"Take it something like this has happened before?"

"Yeah, started getting migraines last year. Stress of school, not enough sleep sometimes, inconsistent diet and a couple of incidents." He blushed slightly. "Haven't really gotten around to telling Ollie about it yet. He was out of town when I had my first one. Kept me in bed for three days."

"Have you seen a doctor for them?"

"Prescription's in my book bag. It's a small black case and a pill bottle in a baggie. Think it's in the zipper pouch."

Clark helped him back to bed and then went over to his bag. He found the items and brought them back to the blonde. "So what's in the case?"

"Injectable form of the pills, for when I'm nauseous and can't keep stuff down. There's also two pre-loaded, half cc doses of morphine."

"They get that bad?" Clark was back to frowning at him.

"Not so far, but the doc I normally see knows how much I travel. Wanted to make sure I was prepared if I needed it. Told me that if it was ever to the point that I needed them, I'd definitely know it. They're strictly a last resort and if the first one doesn't help after an hour, I get the second one and a trip to the closest ER." He started prepping a 3 cc dose of the med. "Might need some help with this."

"I'll try, but no promises."

"It's easy. I just don't think my hands are going to be steady enough to handle it."

Clark nodded and took the now loaded syringe from him. He watched as Tyler pulled his sweats off of one hip, then wiped an area off with an alcohol pad.

"Just put it straight in where I wiped, pull back a little on the plunger then press it all the way down."

Nodding his head, Clark followed Tyler's instructions. It was hard to miss the little groan that came from the blonde as he started pressing the plunger down. "You okay?"

"Burns a little going in, but it'll go away in a minute." He put a cotton ball over the area as Clark removed the needle, then re-covered the needle. "Thanks Clark."

"You're welcome." He watched the blonde for a moment. "You need to take your other meds. Think you can try it?"

"Give me an hour. I know it's pushing it because of the spacing, but it'll take that long for this stuff to fully start working enough that I can eat and keep stuff down again."

"All right. Try to get some sleep." He helped him stretch back out again, then left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Tyler closed his eyes and allowed himself to start drifting back off to sleep, willing the pain to go away.

"He okay?"

Clark turned towards the elevator, slightly startled at seeing Oliver there. "Um, yeah. He's just--" He sighed. There was no way that he could lie to the man before him. "Oliver, there's something that you should know."

"It's a migraine, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but how--"

"He's my little brother Clark. Besides, when he gets tired he sometimes lets things slip that he doesn't remember later. Told me about them at Christmas, but I think he was pretty much worn out. Didn't remember telling me a few things the next day, but I just let it slide. Figured he'd tell me where he actually remembered it when he was ready."

"Glad that you know. He's a little worried that he hasn't told you and that you might be mad at him for it."

"No, I'm not mad. So how bad is it?"

"He's sick to his stomach and has already puked once. Light was hurting his eyes, so I closed the blinds and drapes. Took 3cc's of the meds and I had to help give it to him. Right now, he's resting. Said he'd try his other meds in an hour."

Oliver nodded. "Thanks for staying with him today Clark. I had a few minutes between meetings and I wanted to come up and check on him."

Clark walked over to the blonde and wrapped his arms around him, kissing him softly. "It's not a problem. We might be close to the same age, but Tyler feels like a little brother to me as well." He chuckled softly. "Although, I do see where there are times you just want to strangle him."

"You don't even know." He kissed the brunette back, letting it deepen slightly. When they came up for air, he sighed. "I have to get back, but I should be free after lunch."

"We'll be here." He kissed him again and then let him go. "Get to work Mr. Queen."

Ollie grinned and headed back down to his office. Once in the elevator, he sighed slightly. He was not looking forward to the talk with Tyler.

When Oliver came back upstairs for lunch, he found the lights turned down low and the blinds pulled on the windows. He frowned a moment until he spotted Tyler on the couch with Clark in the chair next to him. Watching them for a moment, a slight grin appeared on his face. His brother might not be a slouch in the looks department, but Clark really did only see him as a friend and a little brother. He chuckled softly as Clark ruffled his brother's hair, earning him a slight glare.

"Don't make me separate you two."

Clark got slowly to his feet, grinning, and made his way over to the blonde. "Didn't hear you come in."

"Kinda figured that when you were getting glared at by junior over there."

The brunette rolled his eyes before kissing his lover lightly. "Lunch is ready and your brother was giving me a hard time, telling me that I'd make you a great wife."

"Well, then that definitely deserves a nookie."

"Already told you about that ganging up thing boys." Tyler sat up a bit on the couch, looking over at the pair. "Remember, I know where you sleep."

"Just remember that goes both ways." Ollie let go of Clark and made his way over to this brother, taking a seat on the edge of the couch so he could face him. "How are you feeling?"

"Head's still hurting a bit, but eating and then taking a nap should help that. Won't be able to do any reading today though." He blushed slightly. "Clark told me that you know about the migraines. I was going to tell you Ollie, but I knew you'd worry. Know it's your prerogative being the oldest, but you've got enough on your plate. You don't need me adding something else to it."

"Tyler, I worry about you every time you get on the mat for a demo. Or start a routine with a new element in it. When I see you push yourself to the edge of exhaustion at school, it all worries me." He forced his brother to look into his eyes. "It hurts when you don't come to me with this kind of stuff because I feel that you think you can't trust me."

Tyler leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his brother and laying his head against his chest, sighing. "I trust you with my life Ollie. You know that. Just don't want to drive you away."

Oliver looked up at Clark, who nodded and moved out to the balcony, shutting the door behind him to give the brothers some privacy.

"You could never do something that would drive me away. Piss me off, make me want to strangle you, knock you out or lock you away for a while, maybe, but never drive me away from you. I am always here for you, no matter what."

"I'm sorry about yesterday, but I just needed to clear my head. I was so frustrated at not being able to come up with any kind of answer that when you called, I just lost it."

"We both said things yesterday Ty. And I don't want you to think that you have to prove anything to me. You are more than my equal when it comes to doing some things, especially at Queen Industries." He rested his chin on his brother's head. There was extra heat on his back where Tyler's wrist rested, but he was ignoring it for now. "If you ever feel like you have to prove something to me, from something I've either said or done, I want you to come to me, okay?"

The shorter blonde nodded slightly, then shivered a bit followed by a small groan. "Need to lay back again."

Ollie helped him lay back, but lightly took hold of his left wrist. Seeing the swelling in the area, he gently removed the brace. "Let's leave this off for now and get some ice on that wrist." He took a pillow and put it under Tyler's wrist, elevating it slightly. The small moan that came from his brother unsettled him. "Easy Ty, you can eat here and then get some rest. We can talk more when you're feeling up to it."

Tyler closed his eyes for a few moments as Ollie let his hand linger on his arm, then sighed and looked at his brother. "This is not how I envisioned spending time in Metropolis or with you, at all."

"Yeah well, if it had been I'd think you were just a glutton for punishment." He chuckled softly. "Let me get Clark and I'll make you a plate." Ollie watched as his brother nodded, then closed his eyes to wait. Moving slowly, he got up and made his way to the balcony and went outside. Immediately, arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him back to rest against the broad chest of his lover.

"He'll be okay Ollie. Just going to take time."

"I know." The blonde sighed and let himself relax for a few minutes in the brunette's arms. "Need to get him something to eat and then let him rest. His wrist is swollen enough that I had to remove the brace and prop it up."

"I'll fix us plates and bring them in. Why don't you grab an ice pack for him and sit with him?"

"Sounds like a plan." He spun in Clark's arms and wrapped his arms around the younger man's neck, then leaned in and kissed him softly. "I'm really glad that you're here Clark." He leaned in and kissed him again, letting it deepen.

Clark groaned into his lover's mouth at his words and pulled him in close. When they finally separated, he sighed. "I'm happy to be here for you, Oliver." He stepped back with a grin. "Come on, let's get your brother taken care of and then we'll see about how to spend the afternoon."

"I can think of a few ways." Oliver grinned wickedly, letting a hand travel down to graze the brunette's crotch and cupping it slightly through his jeans. "Maybe make it a learning time."

A soft gasp at the contact escaped from Clark and he thrust his hips forward slightly. "You keep doing that and no one's going to get lunch today." He leaned down and kissed Oliver again, then stepped out of reach. "After lunch, you can have an afternoon snack."

"I'm going to hold you to that." He followed Clark back inside.

Once lunch had been eaten, Tyler drifted off to sleep on the couch. Not wanting to risk waking him if they moved him, he was left there and the lift doors on the elevator locked to prevent any unwanted visitors.

Grinning at the brunette, Oliver took his hand and started leading them towards the master bedroom. "You did promise me an afternoon snack. And I have something in mind."

"Oh, and what might this something be?" As Clark entered the bedroom behind Ollie, he shut and locked the door.

"How about I just show you?"

(to read the filler that goes here, go to my live journal page: )

Exhausted, Oliver slipped out of his lover and moved up the brunette's body, kissing him softly. "Told you I needed an afternoon snack." He got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Returning a few moments later with a warm washcloth, he cleaned them up and tossed it to the side. Climbing back into bed, he pulled Clark into his arms, chuckling softly at the thoroughly sated look on the younger man's face.

"That was amazing." He rested his head against the blonde's chest as Ollie pulled the covers over them, his eyes starting to drift closed.

"It only gets better from here Clark, I promise." He rested his chin on top of the brown locks and closed his eyes, joining his lover in sleep.


	19. Chp 19 First Dates and Surprises

Still don't own anyone you recognize, just Tyler.

Thanks for those that have reviewed. From now on, the more 'intense' portions will be available on my LiveJournal account. The link is on my profile page. It is also archived on the World of Slash. Look it up on Live Journal.

Chp 19

It had been a week since he had ridden off to Smallville. The migraine and resulting exhaustion had kept him down for a couple of days. Since then, he'd gone back to investigating any and all leads they had, including picking up the trail on Donald Miller. He knew that his brother and Clark's relationship had taken a turn, but that with him around, they weren't getting a lot of alone time. Now, he was going to fix that.

Tyler rolled his eyes as he waited for Clark to come out of the changing room. He'd decided that his brother and the brunette needed a night on the town. Or, as he'd planned it out for them, a weekend out of town. So, he'd set everything up, including talking to Cheryl, Ollie's secretary, and making sure he had no appointments today after 3pm.

Now, he was out with Clark, making sure the brunette had something appropriate to wear. Although, there had been more amused looks than anything else so far as he listened to the brunette complain about the items he was being asked to try on.

Clark finally stepped out of the changing room in a dark charcoal gray suit with a deep burgundy silk shirt. The entire outfit seemed to hug the other man and Tyler let out a low whistle.

"Damn Clark."

A blush crept up Clark's face and neck, coming close to matching the shirt he wore.

"Relax Clark, you're taken, but I'd love to be able to be there and see the look on Ollie's face when he sees you in this."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Nope, but I guarantee you and Ollie will both love it."

Clark shook his head. "I can't accept this Tyler."

The blonde rolled his eyes again and stood up, going over to the brunette. He unbuttoned the top two buttons on the shirt and then nodded at the sales clerk.

"Too bad. It's already paid for, plus the other two outfits you tried on earlier." He looked at Clark. "Please, just trust me, okay? Besides I owe you for helping me."

Sighing Clark nodded, having learned that Tyler was just as stubborn as his older brother when it came to certain things. "All right, but you know I helped you because you're a friend."

"I know, but I want to do this." He turned to the clerk and spoke to him in Italian. "Faccia tutti e tre i alterarsi oggi vestiti e delievered all'avanguardia dell'hotel da 5pm." (Have all three suits altered and delievered to the Hotel Vanguard by 5pm today. )

Clark raised an eyebrow as the clerk grinned and spoke back to Tyler. "Certamente sig. Queen. voi gradicono qualcosa per il vostro fratello pure?" (Certainly Mr. Queen. Would you like something for your brother as well?)

Tyler quickly pointed out two suits he thought would look good on Ollie and added 2 pairs of linen sleep pants for both of them: deep hunter green for Ollie and a midnight blue for Clark.

The man nodded. "Qualche cosa per lei oggi sig. Queen?" (Anything for yourself today Mr. Queen?)

"Non oggi, grazie Arturo." (Not today, thank you Arturo.)

The man bowed slowly at him, then left to get the order started.

"You speak Italian rather well."

Tyler nodded. "It comes in handy when you have to travel to be able to speak the language. Took German and French before I got to Excelsior. Picked up Spanish and Italian there. Once I got to university, I took Latin for the hell of it. Ollie knows the same ones plus Russian. I've started learning it, but he's got me beat."

Clark shook his head and went to change back into the jeans and T-shirt he'd worn out with the younger Queen. As he stepped out, he couldn't help but grin at the blonde. At the penthouse, Tyler hardly wore anything but jeans and T-shirts or sweatpants and no shirt. Any time he went out, it was slacks or khakis and button up shirts. Today was no exception and the blonde was wearing a pair of khakis and a black button up shirt. Between the two Queens, it was Tyler that always appeared more formal, especially in public.

"You know, between you and Ollie, I'm going to have a get a whole new wardrobe."

The younger blonde shook his head and turned back around from where he was looking at leather jackets. He'd already picked one out for himself and Ollie, having them added to the order. As he looked at Clark, he picked another one out and nodded at Arturo, who took it from him and added it to the stack.

"Well, we can certainly help you out with that, but I think next time Ollie gets to take you shopping." He grinned wickedly. "Complete with pins and chalk, full lengths mirrors and roaming hands." A soft laugh escaped him when the brunette fidgeted. "Relax, it'll be fun." He checked his watch. "Come on, we've still got a couple of stops to make before we head back."

Three hours later, they finally arrived back at the penthouse. Their other stops had included getting Clark a haircut and a massage. The haircut had been more of a trim, but it cleaned up the shagginess that had been going on with the younger man and shortened the bangs a bit so that his eyes were more visible.

When Ollie heard the elevator, he turned to face it, envelope in hand and raised an eyebrow at his brother. "So, any clue as to what I'm going to find in this?"

Tyler grinned. "Maybe, but I'm not going to tell you. You're just going to have to open it and find out for yourself." He headed off to the kitchen to get something to drink and take his meds.

Clark shook his head when Ollie shifted his gaze to him. "Don't look at me. He's been like this since we left."

The older Queen nodded and stepped forward, running a hand through the shortened locks. "Looks good on you."

"Yeah well, you're little brother's responsible for it." He wrapped his arms around the blonde. "He's a devious little sneak."

"That he is." Closing the gap between them, he lightly nipped Clark's lower lip before kissing him softly. When they broke for air, he sighed. "Come on, let's go find out what this envelope has in store for us." Leading the way over to the couch, he took a seat with Clark sitting next to him. Slowly, he opened the envelope, then could only stare at what it held.

When Tyler came out of the kitchen a few minutes later, juice in hand, he found the pair of them sitting there, staring at the itinerary that had been printed up for them and grinned. "Don't say that I've never given you anything."

Ollie looked up at his brother. "Tyler, this is--" He couldn't even begin to understand how his brother did all of this without him finding out.

"Look Ollie, you and Clark have been together for a month. You haven't really been on a date during that entire time. I want to do this for the two of you, so please, let me." He broke into a grin. "Besides, everything's already paid for, taken care of and arranged. All you two have to do is get to the hotel and then tomorrow morning you'll get the rest of the itinerary. Just a warning though, you have to be up by 8am or you'll give the busboy a fright."

Clark put a hand on Ollie's shoulder. "I found out today, that your brother is just as stubborn as you are and there is no arguing with him about this. So why don't we just make the most of it."

Looking back and forth between the two for a few moments, Ollie finally shook his head. "All right, let me go get changed."

Tyler's laugh stopped him and he raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"Just get to the hotel. You don't need to take anything." His grin widened. "Like I said, I've handled it."

Looking around the hotel suite, Ollie shook his head. "You know, I should have known something was up when he said that he'd handle it." The sitting area had a large basket of various fruits, cheeses and crackers on the coffee table next to a bottle of sparkling cider that was chilling. He grinned at that, but realized that his brother didn't want either one of them intoxicated. Off to his left, a rack stood with 5 suit bags hanging on it. On the cart portion, rested two medium sized bags with the name of one of the shops they'd found with excellent suits made by a man that came from Italy. There were also two boxes with it from the same store. Two other boxes obviously held shoes and sat next to a plain black bag. When he looked into the bag, his eyebrows shot upwards. Inside was an assortment of lubes, massage oils and body chocolate. Grinning, he picked it up and handed it to Clark.

"Think this one is for you."

Clark blushed hard when he examined the contents and set the bag down. "When did he have time to arrange all of this?"

"I don't know, but I plan on asking him when this is all over." He went over to the suit bags and looked at the labels. Grinning, he picked the two that had his name on them off the rack and looked at Clark. "Think maybe we should get dressed?"

The brunette absently nodded from where he was looking into the smaller bedroom. He'd tried the larger one, but the door was locked and a note said that it would be ready for them after dinner. This bedroom had more boxes and he recognized the name of the shop Tyler had taken him to for boxers and socks. There was also an array of soaps, shampoos and styling products.

"He really is too much sometimes." Ollie stated, coming up behind the brunette. "Come on, let's get dressed for dinner."

"All right. Let me grab my suit." He went over and checked the suit bags, picking the charcoal gray one that Tyler had liked so well along with the shirt. After getting the younger Queen's reaction to the suit, he was interested in seeing Oliver's reaction.

Half an hour later, he was standing in front of the mirror in the bedroom and nodded, then went out to the sitting area where Ollie was waiting.

"So, what do you think?"

Oliver turned and swallowed hard. Damn, he was going to have to really thank his brother for this one. Slowly, he got to his feet and went over to the brunette.

"Damn Clark, you look amazing."

"Thank you. I have to admit, I was kinda hesitant at first about it, but Tyler said it really worked on me."

"Yeah well, he was definitely right." He leaned in and kissed the younger man, letting it deepen slightly. "Definitely can't wait for whatever's next on my brother's list."

"I know what you mean." Clark kissed him back, then pulled away with a sigh. "Come on, let's go to dinner."

While his brother and Clark were out on the town, Tyler had made plans of his own. He'd placed a call earlier that day to a friend of his, who was more than willing to drop by for the evening. A few well placed calls had dinner delivered and when his friend called, letting him know that he was downstairs, it only took a few numbers to turn off the cameras in the penthouse. Only then did he allow the elevator to start moving. Now, standing in front of the elevator, he couldn't wait to see his friend again.

When the gate raised, he could only grin at the brunette that stood on the other side. "And here I thought you might just take the stairs."

Bart Allen shook his head. "Naw, I might need all my energy when it comes to you." He stepped closer, reaching a hand up to cup the cheek of the young man before him, growing serious as the head tilted into the touch.

"I've missed being able to see you." He closed his eyes, relaxing into the touch. It amazed him how the younger man could relax him so easily.

"Take it our leather wearing archer hasn't broken the news yet?"

"No, and with everything going on right now it's something that's been put off."

"Talk to me beautiful."

"Later, I promise." He opened his eyes and looked at the brunette again. "Right now, I just want you to hold me."

Bart took his hand and led him to the bedroom that he knew belonged to Tyler. Without saying a word, he slowly stripped him down to his boxers before doing the same himself. Gently, he pushed the blonde down onto the bed, then laid beside him and pulled the covers up before cradling his lover close to him. "I'm right here lover." He could feel it when Tyler finished relaxing against him and started drifting off to sleep. It worried him that the blonde was so tense and exhausted. Sighing, he pulled Tyler tighter against him and held him. There was no way he was going to sleep right now, but if it's what his lover needed, then he'd be there for him.

It was almost two hours later before the blonde began to stir in his arms, causing him to grin and lean down, placing a soft kiss on his temple. The soft sigh that came from the body was followed by arms tightening around his body as the eyes opened slowly.

"Hey." The voice was husky from sleep, but still sounded warm and welcoming. "Can't believe you sat still for so long."

A hand came down and gently cupped his chin. "Talk to me Tyler. What the hell has been going on? Because you scared me with this."

"I didn't mean to scare you Bart. Just been a long month."

"Believe me, I know it has been." He kissed the blonde softly, letting it deepen slightly with the promise of more before he pulled back. "Right now, you need to start talking."

Tyler groaned softly as that sensuous mouth left his, but he laid back against the pillow and started telling Bart everything that had been going on for the past few months. When he finished, he was attacked by that same mouth as it sought his. He could feel the need that accompanied the kiss as his lover sought to reassure himself that he was okay.

"You ever go this long without talking to me again and I'll kick your tail blondie." Bart stated, resting his forehead against Tyler's before grinding his hips into his lover's body, brushing his hardened cock against the blonde's.

Hips arched upwards as he gasped, head tilting back at the sensations that rippled through him. It had been almost 2 months since he'd seen Bart and he knew this first time tonight would be hard and fast while they both slacked their thirst for each other. His hands settled on the brunette's back, pulling him in tighter.

"I promise. You sticking around for a while?"

"Oh, I'm not letting you out of my sight for more than a few days. Your brother might have me doing a few things for him, but I can still stay close."

"Good." Tyler practically forced the word out as he shoved Bart's boxers down, using a foot to move them the rest of the way off as a hand wrapped around the hardened member. He nipped lightly at his lover's neck as he stroked his shaft. "I want to feel you in me."

"Your wish is my command." Slowly, he started trailing kisses down the blonde's body, dipping a tongue in his navel before sitting up and and removing the boxers that covered his treasure. Once the material was out of the way, he nestled himself between his lover's thighs and gently blew over the thick cock head that was presented to him.

*** NC-17*** To read the part that goes here, please visit my Live Journal page. The link is in my profile.

"Easy sweetheart." He could feel the blonde's heart still hammering beneath his hands as he kissed him softly. Slowly, he felt the heartbeat slow and the rapid breathing even out once again. "Sleep now lover." Feeling the head nod against his chest, he rested his chin atop the sweaty blonde locks. Only once he felt Tyler slip off into sleep again did he allow himself the same privilege, knowing that it would be a while before his lover was up to another session.

Clark grinned at Ollie across the table as they sat sharing a dessert. They'd taken their time with the meal, enjoying both the food and the company.

"Kinda wish all my first dates had been like this."

Oliver chuckled softly. "I know what you mean." He fed Clark another bite of the gelato. "Definitely going to have to thank my brother for this."

"Wonder what he's got planned for us for tomorrow."

"I'm more interested in what's going to happen the rest of tonight."

"Hmm, something tells me we might want to save room for another dessert."

He watched as the blonde's eyes darkened and his tongue slipped out to wet suddenly dry lips. "I think we should take this upstairs and find out what's waiting in the second bedroom." He stood up, holding his hand out to Clark.

Despite wanting to jump the blonde then and there, Clark waited until they were alone in the elevator before attacking the blonde's lips, pushing him against the wall of the elevator. The kiss deepened until both were panting for air by the time the doors opened onto their floor. How they managed to get into the room was beyond him, but as soon as they were inside, he was throwing Oliver's jacket onto the nearest piece of furniture.

Groaning, Ollie broke off from the brunette's latest attack and removed his shoes and shirt, not caring where they landed. He watched as Clark did the same before taking hold of his hand and leading him to the previously locked bedroom. When he opened it, the small gasp that escaped him was unavoidable.

The king sized bed was adorned in hunter green silk sheets. Candles on every available surface gave the room it's only light. The contents of the black bag had been spread over both nightstands and a single red rose graced each pillow while rose petals decorated the bed.

Clark groaned as he suddenly had his arms full of the blonde who was nipping his way down the underside of his neck. Not breaking the contact, he picked the older man up in his arms and entered the room, shutting the door behind him as he carried his lover to the bed. Stepping back, he removed his pants, letting them puddle on the floor before he leaned over the blonde, hands working the belt buckle and then button as his mouth captured Ollie's.

Ollie raised his hips as Clark got his pants undone, sliding his hands over the brunette's body as he slid the material to join his on the floor. He grinned, realizing both of them had gone commando for the evening. His next breath was sucked in between gritted teeth as his lover suddenly sucked his burgeoning cock into that warm, wet cavern. Hips bucked upward as feather soft touches ghosted over the skin that resided there.

So far, Oliver had been the one to dominate things in their lovemaking. Tonight, he was going to show the blonde that he had been an eager student.


	20. Chp 20 Getaways and Brawls

Standard disclaimer still applies. Only Tyler is mine.

Please review. Reviews keep the write honest and on track.

This is a longer chapter than normal and it does jump back and forth. Also, the very beginning you will find on my Live Journal page only.

You have to have read chapter 19 in order to get where this one starts and even then you should really go to my LiveJournal page in order to understand it. Also, the hotel I mention is in La Jolla, CA and it's name really is La Valencia Hotel. The information I obtained came from their website: .com/unitedstates/california-vacations/luxury-hotels/la-jolla-luxury-hotels-and-resorts/la-velencia-hotel/

Chp 20

Slowly, Clark laid back, taking the blonde with him. He slid out of his lover slowly and got up, grabbing a washcloth from the bathroom and wetting it slightly before coming back out and cleaning them both up. He laid it aside and pulled the blonde to him, kissing him softly. "I could get used to this."

Ollie grinned at him. "Definitely." He kissed him softly, then rested his head against the brunette's. "But right now, we should get some sleep. I have a feeling this weekend is just getting started."

The knocking at the door of the suite woke Clark and it took a moment for him to realize where he was before awareness hit him. He grinned at the blonde and kissed him softly on the temple before getting up and pulling on a pair of the sleep pants Tyler had gotten for them and went to the door. Pulling it open, he nodded at the bellboy who had a trolley with breakfast on it and an envelope.

"Good morning sir. Mr. Queen asked that this be delivered promptly at 8am along with breakfast for two." He grinned at the brunette who took the envelope and stepped aside, opening the door. Pushing the trolley in, he nodded at the man. "Mr. Queen also said that you will find your cell phones are not here, but he will know how to contact you at all times. All tips have also been taken care of and the limo will be ready for you at 10am. Enjoy." Exiting the suite, he shut the doors behind him and walked down the hall, grinning. Oh yeah, he'd gotten a big tip for helping set up the room last night and this morning's errand. It helped that Tyler Queen had helped him get the job at the hotel in the first place.

Clark watched him go, then quickly searched the suite and found that he was correct about the cell phones, groaning slightly, he went back into the bedroom and stretched out beside the blonde. Softly, he placed several open-mouthed kisses across his sleeping lover's shoulders before moving forward and gently nipping his earlobe. "Wake up gorgeous."

Ollie groaned softly, but turned towards the brunette and smiled slightly. "Morning handsome." He leaned forward and kissed Clark, keeping it light. "So where did you go that you had to put on pants?"

"To answer the door. It is, after all, a little past 8am and Tyler wasn't kidding when he said that the bellboy would be here at that time. Breakfast is here and the next phase. We also don't have any cell phones."

The older man frowned. "You're kidding? How the hell did he manage that?"

"I don't know, but I've checked the entire suite and both of them are gone. The bellboy said that the limo would be ready for us at 10am and that Tyler knew how to get in contact with us at all times."

Oliver's frown softened slightly. "He would keep a line of communication open, but I still want to know how he got our phones." He got out of bed and slid on a pair of the sleep pants then took Clark's hand, leading him out into the main area. "Breakfast or the envelope first?"

"Let's see where we're going while we eat."

A soft chuckle issued forth from the blonde. "I forgot that you're an always hungry 20 year old."

Clark rolled his eyes as he fixed himself a plate from the trolley and took a seat on the couch. "So I wonder what your little brother has up his sleeve now?"

Ollie snorted as he brought his own plate over and took a seat next to his lover. "I don't know. Something tells me that it's somehow going to top this."

Half an hour later, both of them stared in shock at the portfolio that was presented before them. Apparently Tyler had not only arranged for the Queen jet to take them to California for the rest of the weekend, but the hotel they were going to had private villas. From the brochures of the hotel, they were getting the best one: the La Valencia Suite at the La Valencia Hotel. It was complete with an indoor/outdoor fireplace, wraparound patio, steam showers and whirlpool tubs. The villa had private beach access and an ocean view. According to what their itinerary read, they were both scheduled for massages in their villa and later their meals would be prepared in the villa as well. Yeah, he was definitely going to be repaying his brother for this one.

"I can't believe he's done all of this, and without us getting any hint about it."

"Seems business wasn't the only thing that your brother learned from you." Clark grinned at him. "Sneakiness is something else you seem to have taught him."

"He's always been sneaky. Now he's just getting better at not getting caught." He shook his head. "We'd better get a shower or we'll never be ready by the time the limo is and I for one don't want to be late." Leaning over, he gently kissed Clark. "This weekend is about us and I want to enjoy it all."

Bart stood in the doorway and silently watched his lover sleep. They'd eaten after a short nap, then made love again during the night and Tyler had been asleep since. He'd made the run to the hotel and acquired Clark and Oliver's cell phones, taken a nap and then gone out to get them breakfast. As much as he didn't want to wake the blonde, he knew that he needed to eat. Slowly he made his way to the bed and stretched out beside his lover again. With light strokes, he let his hand move up and down Tyler's arm before slipping around his waist and pulling him back against him.

"Time to wake up love or breakfast is going to get cold."

Tyler sighed softly and turned his head a bit, looking up into Bart's hazel eyes. "Not really hungry Bart."

"Didn't ask if you were hungry Ty. You need to eat and you need to take your meds." He watched the blush that crept over the blonde's features. "I want you well again and if it means staying on your case about it, I will and you know it."

"Yeah, I know." He got out of bed slowly, slipping on a pair of sweatpants before taking the brunette's hand and letting himself be lead out to the living room. "Anything special you want to do today, after breakfast and a shower?"

"Not today, but I figured we could hit one of the 18 and up clubs later on." Quickly he had both of them a plate made and handed one off to Tyler. "It'll get us out of the house and it's public enough that no one can try anything without causing a scene."

Ty nodded before swallowing a mouthful of eggs. "One of us will have to be responsible for getting the sodas each time." It was a habit they'd gotten into since they started seeing each other almost 8 months ago. Whenever they went out, one of them would make and pick up their drink orders. It was almost too easy for someone to slip something into a drink, especially those carried on trays. While Tyler didn't always go around using his last name, some people still recognized him from various athletic events and giving someone an opportunity to get even with him or Ollie was not a chance either of them were willing to take.

"Not a problem." He was quiet for a moment. "So have you told Ollie yet?"

"I haven't even told him the rest of the reason I'm in Metropolis, Bart. Considering that I arrived with 2 months worth of poison in my system, a broken wrist and cracked ribs plus I did it without calling and then I get shot at all within a week." He shook his head. "There is no way I was telling him that I had decided to join his little group and have been going out at night in Star City while he's been here in Metropolis. Besides, I can't tell him about you and me until he tells Clark about the team. Otherwise, it's going to take a few lies, that I'd rather not have come back and bite us in the ass later, to let Clark in on how you and I met."

He leaned over and kissed the brunette. "And frankly, me saving your ass was a damn good way to meet."

"You didn't save my ass." Bart replied, setting his plate down for a moment. "You stole my heart." He grinned. "Thought you were supposed to protect innocents like me?"

Tyler busted out laughing. "Oh, you can just wipe that look off your face mister, because you are so far off from being innocent it isn't funny." He sighed and grew serious again. "I really want to tell Ollie about us. At the very least so we don't have to use hotel rooms while you're here every time."

Bart nodded. "I know you do, but like you said. Ollie has to tell Clark about the team first. Vic and AC might have only been around a few months, but we're still a team." He caressed the blonde's cheek. "Although, I'm not too sure either one of them are going to be exactly thrilled with you picking up a mantle of your own."

"I know, but I can't just sit by anymore and not do anything. I've got more martial arts training than Ollie plus the gymnastics and the escrima sticks are working out really well. With the bow and crossbow as back ups, I'm fine."

"You're still just as human as your brother. At least remember that." He picked up his plate again. "Besides, AC and Victor are both going to treat you like their little brother, just like they do me." A grin broke on his face as he went back to eating at Tyler rolling his eyes. Sometimes, he wished that he'd met Tyler when he wasn't so serious. Other times, he wouldn't trade a moment of their time together, even if it was sporadic with him assisting Ollie and the younger blonde bogged down in school.

Clark shook his head as he gazed out at the beach from the porch on their villa. The flight over had taken less than three hours and when the limo dropped them off at the hotel, they were whisked directly to the villa. Apparently, Tyler had known they landed and already checked them in before they even got to the hotel. He breathed deeply, then smiled as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

"I can't believe a few hours ago we were in Kansas and now we're here and will be for at least 24 hours."

"Well, enjoy it. We definitely deserve the alone time, which will really begin after our massages that are supposed to start in half an hour."

He turned around, wrapping his arms around the blonde. "He really planned all of his out to the last detail, didn't he?"

"It's what makes Tyler so good at developing ideas and carrying them out. If he had joined the military, he'd have been a top notch tactician for any branch. Personally, I'm kinda glad he's on our side." He kissed the younger man, keeping it light, then pulled back, resting his forehead against Clark's. "We should get ready because I think we're both wearing a bit much in the clothes department."

"Any suggestions?"

Ollie nodded. "Saw some cotton lounge pants on each bed. Think those will work until they bring the tables in."

"Well then, let's not delay this step so we can go on with the rest."

Two hours later found the pair in the hot tub out on the patio. The massages had been thorough and removed the last traces of fatigue from their flight and late night activities.

"It's beautiful here."

Ollie looked over at his lover and gently took hold of his hand beneath the water. "It is, but there are a few places that I would like to show you that might put this place to shame."

"Oh really?" He moved over, then leaned in and gently nipped the older man's collarbone, then licked it. "Since that's later, how about we enjoy now?"

"I think we have a couple of hours to kill before dinner." Ollie grinned, sliding his hands around Clark's back and removing his trunks. "And I have a way to help pass that time."

Bart grinned as Tyler put gel into his hair and made it spike up more. "You know, you don't really need that stuff to make it stand up."

Tyler rolled his eyes at the brunette. "Not all of us can run fast enough to make our hair look windblown." He checked his look in the mirror one more time. The black jeans were tight and hugged his frame while the dark gray shirt added contrast to it. Adding the black leather jacket he bought the day before and he nodded. "All right, let's go. We driving, walking or what?"

"Let's just take the limo. That way we don't have to worry about parking."

"After you." He waited until Bart was in the elevator before he typed in the security codes, setting a delay time in before the cameras would reactivate and start recording again. "So what club are we going to?"

"Heard that Wild Aces isn't bad. That or we can just find a line of people around our age."

"Wild Aces had a lot of fights the past couple of weeks. I'd rather stay out of trouble if we can avoid it. Let's go line polling." He told the driver, who just nodded.

It only took 15minutes of driving around before they spotted a likely spot. Not even bothering to get the name of the place, Tyler stepped out of the limo first then waited for Bart. Sometimes, especially in times like this, it was good to be recognized. He nodded at the bouncer who didn't even bother to check his list before removing the rope and allowing him and Bart through. Once inside, it took a couple of minutes before their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting punctuated by multi-colored strobes. The dance music was promising and they made their way over to a booth in the corner.

"Want something to drink first or do you want to dance?" Bart asked, slipping in beside the blonde and leaning in close to be heard over the music.

"Go ahead and grab us something to drink. It'll give us a chance to figure out the scene a bit better."

Nodding, Bart got up and made his way towards the bar. He returned a few minutes later and set the soda in front of Tyler while taking a drink of his own.

For a while, they just sat and talked. Catching up on things, filling in the gaps since the last time they'd seen each other and just enjoying the time together. It was rare that they got to just hang out without worrying about the time or who might see them.

They finally made their way to the dance floor after finishing off a second soda, not willing to leave anything out that could be mickeyed. Tyler made it through four dances before he had to take a break, which is when trouble reared it's head.

They were making their way back to the booth when a fight started in front of them. Who started it or why was unimportant. Their main concern was getting out of there. Avoiding the bodies as others jumped in, they began weaving a path to the door, knowing that the cops had been called.

Tyler grunted as he caught an elbow in the hip and yelled at Bart. "Get out of here! We can't both get caught."

Bart frowned at him. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Dammit Bart, get the hell out of here! Don't call Oliver until tomorrow. There's nothing he'll be able to do tonight. You have their schedule. Call him before they're scheduled to take off and then get to a hotel. I'll call you when I can."

The brunette groaned, but since he was closer to the door he nodded. For a moment, he thought Tyler might make it out as well, but a group of three fighting blocked his path. Frowning, he took off, barely making it out before the cops came pouring in.

After dinner, Clark laid in one of the chaise lounges with Oliver close to his side. "Have I told you how much I've enjoyed the past couple of days?"

Ollie grinned, enjoying the sensation of being in the brunette's arms. "No, but the look on your face has said it many times over."

"Makes me almost wish we didn't have to go back tomorrow."

"I know, but next time we go somewhere, I promise you, it'll be for at least a week. You can even pick where you want to go."

"Come to realize it's more fun if the destination is a surprise."

His answer caused the blonde to chuckle softly and he turned in his lover's arms, softly kissing the younger man. "Let's not waste the rest of our time alone."

Despite Tyler telling him to don't bother trying anything tonight, Bart still tried to get Tyler released. Apparently, the Watch Commander thought he was doing a good thing by keeping the younger Queen in custody, especially considering he didn't know the young man claiming to be his friend and the attempt on his life after arriving in Metropolis. He did get in to see him though and he wanted to hit someone when he saw the bruises on Ty's face.

"What happened?"

"Blocked a fist, but missed the other two. The last three that jumped in my way didn't care who they were hitting. Tried to get out of the way, but it was no use. I couldn't even do anything because one of the cops grabbed me first." He sighed. "Promise me you won't call Ollie until tomorrow. And he's the one you have to speak to, not Clark."

"Thought you said that Ollie doesn't know about us being together?"

"Not as a couple, but he won't think anything of you dropping off info and us hanging out together." He was quiet for a moment. "Sorry this happened."

"Hey beautiful, you didn't start the fight."

Tyler chuckled softly. "Guess we should have gone to Wild Aces, might have been quieter."

"Next time." He grinned at the blonde as the guard told him it was time to go. "I'll let your brother know. Try to get some rest." Heading back out of the station, he was really tempted to just go and tell Ollie in person tonight, but overall there were bigger things at risk than Tyler spending a night in jail. Shaking his head, he made his way to a local motel and checked in, crashing almost instantly.

Clark raised an eyebrow at the blonde as they sat eating breakfast on the porch. He should probably call it more of a brunch since they'd spent most of the night making love and had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep early in the morning. It was now past 10 and they were due to get on the plane back in less than two hours. His lover had been quiet since their breakfast had arrived, opting to just have the meal delivered instead of prepared in the villa to give them more time together.

"You're being awfully quiet over here handsome."

Ollie reached out and took hold of the brunette's hand. "I'm okay. Guess I'm just wishing we didn't have to leave so soon, but I know that we both need to get back." He grinned. "If we'd gotten up earlier, I would have had us detour to Star City and showed you the house. Now, I'm just happy to have you all to myself for a while more."

"Well, we still haven't sampled the steam showers and the brochures promised they were very nice."

Shaking his head and chuckling softly, Ollie grinned at him. "I have corrupted you." He leaned in and softly kissed the younger man. "I love you."

Immediately, his mouth was devoured by the younger man. The words hadn't been said before because he wanted to be sure of his feelings, but since last night he had never been more sure of anything.

"God Ollie, I love you, too." Clark rested his forehead against the blonde's. "I think I have since we first met, but I was willing to be just a friend. The more time I spent with you, the more I realized that I could never settle for being just a friend. Not and still be happy."

Standing, Ollie held his hand out to the younger man. "Come on, let's go get a shower gorgeous."

As they were waiting in the lobby for the limo, the concierge came over to them. "Mr. Queen, there is a phone call for you. I've transferred it into a private booth."

Oliver frowned, but got up and followed him into the booth. "This is Oliver Queen." The voice he heard on the other end was not the one he was expecting.

Bart sighed when he heard Ollie on the other end. "Ollie, it's Bart."

"What's wrong? How did you know where I was at?"

"I kinda helped your brother set up a few things. Look, Oliver, Tyler's in jail."

"WHAT?!"

He had to hold the phone away from his ear for a moment. "He's in jail." Quickly, he told the blonde what had happened at the club, but not why he had been in town. "I even tried to go and bail him out, but the Watch Commander refused because of the attempted shooting. Said that until you could come get him yourself, he was safer in jail. I'm really sorry to spoil your and Clark's trip with this."

Oliver sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Don't worry about it Bart, it's not your fault. Thanks for calling me and letting me know. I'll talk to you later." He hung up and shook his head, then went back out to the lobby and Clark.

The brunette could instantly tell that something was wrong as his boyfriend came closer. "What happened?"

"Tyler's in jail. Friend of his, who helped him out with parts of this whole thing, called me to let me know. Seems there was a fight in a club the two of them were at last night. They got separated and Tyler got busted. Cops wouldn't let the guy bail Tyler out because of the shooting attempt."

"Guess that means they didn't let him give Tyler his meds for while he was in there either."

The blonde groaned. "Damn, I didn't even think of that." He shook his head, then got slowly to his feet when he saw the limo pull up. "Come on, we've got a plane to catch."

Clark chuckled softly. "Yeah, and a jailbird to free."

"Funny. Always knew you had it in you though." He playfully shoved the younger man forward as they walked, then fell into step beside. Yep, he might owe Tyler for the weekend, but his little brother definitely owed him an explanation, for a few things. One of those things, he realized, would have to wait for Clark not being around. Unless he was ready to have a rather awkward conversation with the younger man.

Four hours later, Ollie pulled the car over into a parking space close to the police station. Tyler hadn't been carted off to the regular jail. Instead, he was still being held in one of the holding cells at Metropolis Police Department. He and Clark had made a stop by the penthouse to drop off their luggage and to grab Tyler's meds, including a dose of the migraine pills as a precaution. It had taken less than 10 minutes to find out that his brother didn't really require bail because no charges were being filed against him. He was only being held, supposedly, for his own protection. Clark had stopped him from going off on anyone, but Oliver had gotten permission for him and Clark to be the ones to go down and release his brother.

The night had been hard on the younger Queen. At first, the cops had been rough, unwilling to accept that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and had not been a part of the fight. When they had cuffed him, despite the brace on his wrist, they'd put his hands behind his back, which made his wrist hurt. The cuffs hadn't been released until he was being put into a holding cell after sitting in the intake area for almost 3 hours. No charges had been filed against him, but he still wasn't being released until Ollie came to get him. Thankfully, he'd been placed by himself in a holding cell, but he was sore from all the hits he'd taken when he and Bart were trying to get away. He knew without looking that he had a bruise on his hip where he not only got hit, but had landed on a stool when he tripped over someone on the floor. His lip was split and his jaw hurt like hell from the last two punches that he'd taken right before he was taken into custody.

So instead of being on the cot that was provided for him, he was leaning against the bars of the cell. Both of his forearms hung out of the bars and his head was resting against the cool metal. He'd almost fallen asleep that way twice, but each time a guard bringing in first breakfast and then lunch brought him alert once again.

Now, he was just waiting for his brother, wondering how angry the older man was going to be with him. He didn't even look up when he heard the door open and so he was hardly surprised when a hand reached through the bar and gently came to rest on the back of his neck.

"You okay?"

Oliver had been furious when he first saw the bruises that darkened his brother's features, but when he saw the dark circles under Tyler's eyes, it melted. There was no question that his brother hadn't slept during the night, which was hardly surprising, but it was also obvious that he was hurting. He knew his brother had hard them come into the holding area from the slight change in his posture despite the fact that he hadn't raised his head. This alone let him know it was okay to reach out and touch him.

Slowly, he lifted his head and met his brother's worried gaze. "Will be." He forced himself to stand up straight and withdraw his hands as Clark opened the now unlocked cell door.

Once his brother was out of the cell, Ollie stopped him, looking him over. "Anything other than what I can see?"

"Tripped over a stool and landed on my right hip." He was silent for a moment. "Might have tweaked my wrist a bit the way I was handcuffed."

"Let's get you home, then I'll look you over, okay?"

"Sorry to spoil your weekend."

It was Clark that spoke up, gently cupping the younger Queen's chin with his hand. "You didn't spoil anything Tyler. You gave us an amazing gift that we won't forget. I'm just sorry your weekend was spoiled." He ruffled his hair and then stepped back again. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Tyler walked ahead of the two men out of the holding area and out of the building. Spotting the car, he started heading that way. "So did you two at least have fun before this morning's call?"

"Oh yeah." Ollie unlocked the doors for them and then stood at the driver's door. "Although, you and I will be talking about your sneaky ways." He winked at his brother and climbed in.

Tyler rolled his eyes before climbing into the back. Once they were wall in, Clark handed him a bottle of water and his meds.

"Put a dose of your migraine meds in there as well, those are the loose ones. Figured you'd need your regular meds and might need those."

"Thanks." He measured out the doses he needed the most, knowing that the spacing wasn't important right now and added the migraine meds as well. A sip of the water went first before he started taking the meds, alleviating the possibility that one might get stuck as they started back for the penthouse. When he had taken them all, he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. He was asleep in moments.

"He's out." Clark watched him for a few minutes, using his X-ray vision to make sure nothing had been broken, then turned back around in his seat. "Nothing's broke, but I'm willing to bet he's got some ugly bruises."

"From the bags under his eyes, I don't think he slept last night either. Not that I can really blame him on that." He pulled into the garage of the penthouse and parked, then looked over at Clark. "Mind carrying him up and I'll get the alarms?"

"Not a problem." He got out of the car and slowly eased Tyler into his arms, a frown forming when he realized that he was running a slight fever. "Might be running a fever Ollie."

"Probably because of the meds." Holding the elevator, he waited for Clark to get on with his brother. "When we get him upstairs, I want to get him cleaned up, see how bad things are."

"I doubt he's going to wake up for you."

"He will, trust me on that." Once upstairs, he turned the alarms off and locked the elevator down before turning to Clark. "Let's take him to his room."

Clark followed the blonde into Tyler's room and gently laid the younger Queen on the bed before stepping back.

Looking down at his brother, Oliver was tempted to just let him sleep, but he knew that Tyler needed to get cleaned up and the sooner the better. Gently, he took a seat beside him on the bed prior to putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze.

"Come on Tyler, I need you to wake up for me." He put a little authority behind the request, knowing his brother would respond to it better than anything else, then waited. Clark might have been surprised when the brown eyes opened and looked up at him, but he wasn't. "I know you want to sleep right now, but you need to take a shower, okay?"

Tyler sat up slowly, letting his brother help, then sighed. "Yeah, probably right." He made it to his feet and started stripping, not caring that Clark was in the room. Left only in his boxers, he grabbed a clean pair along with sweatpants before removing his brace and heading into the bathroom. The hot water felt good on his sore muscles and he washed quickly so that he could stand under the pulsing spray.

Clark shook his head as he watched Tyler go into the bathroom and turned to look at Ollie, who was almost livid. Quickly, he made his way over to the older man and pulled him into his arms. "It's just bruises Ollie. He's okay and getting angry now isn't going to help him."

As soon as he'd seen the bruises that covered most of his brother's right hip, he saw little of anything else. However, as Clark spoke, he knew that the brunette was right. He sighed and rested his head against the younger man's shoulder. "Least now I understand why he didn't lay down last night." He hugged Clark for a few more minutes, then looked up at him. "Mind grabbing the massage oil and a heating pad? I'll grab a towel when he comes out, but I want to try and get that muscle to loosen up a bit before he goes to sleep. Otherwise, he'll just be one complete knot when he wakes up later."

"Not a problem." He kissed the blonde softly and went to grab the items he'd requested.

Twenty minutes later, Clark found himself supporting Tyler as Ollie worked on the muscles in his lower back and hip. It was a position he'd had to adopt once it became apparent the younger blonde lacked the energy to do it himself, not to mention that the area Ollie was working on was already tight and hurting.

"Easy Tyler, just try to breathe through it." The brunette adjusted his hold a bit so that he could rub Ty's back.

"I'm trying to be easy Ty, but you're one big knot little brother."

"I know. How about we take a break for a while? Use the heating pad on it for a bit and let me get some sleep."

Ollie looked at Clark and nodded. "All right, but I want you to take a muscle relaxer to help as well. I know the doc in Star City prescribed them for you and that you carry them around with you."

Tyler sighed. "Actually left them here when we finished setting up the apartment. Bathroom cabinet behind the mouthwash."

Getting up, he let Clark help his brother get settled while he went into the bathroom. He'd finally gotten a copy of Tyler's med records from Star City a couple of weeks ago. The migraine meds were only when he got one, which according to what he'd read, had been very few since they were diagnosed. The muscle relaxers were from something else entirely and he had an idea about why they had been needed. He was letting it go for now as he washed his hands and filled a cup with water before taking one of the caplets back to his brother.

"All right bucko. Take this and we'll leave you alone for a couple of hours. I'm letting you know ahead of time, one of us will be coming in every 20minutes to either turn the heating pad on or off while you're sleeping. Then we'll try working that knot out again."

Turning slightly, Tyler sat up enough to take the pill and some of the water, then laid back down. "Don't have much choice in it." He sighed softly, dropping off easily into sleep.

Once back in the living room, Ollie dropped to the couch with a sigh. "Least we can spend the rest of the day at home."

Clark took a seat beside him. "How about we just order dinner in? That way we can relax instead of having to worry about."

Pulling the brunette down for a chaste kiss, the older man grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me."

When dinner was finally ordered and delivered, two other massage sessions had occurred. The last one had finally gotten the muscles to relax and Tyler was actually able to walk on it without flinching. Now, he was stretched out on one of the couches, the heating pad in place as he ate.

"So mind telling me how you managed to get our cell phones without either one of us knowing?"

Tyler laughed softly. "Are you kidding me? No way man. Besides, if you were as oblivious to someone coming in, taking both phones out of your jacket pockets, which were tossed on the floor of the main sitting room as you are to me making the kind of plans I did, then you deserved it."

Ollie was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Does have a point."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Maybe, but damn you two need to learn how to be subtle about gloating."

The comment caused them all to laugh as they finished eating and settled in to relax for the rest of the night.


	21. Chp 21 Hard Truths

Really wish that I could say I own someone or something besides Tyler, but alas, tis not true.

Thanks for the 2 reviews I got for the last chapter. I know more people are reading this than Angel-eyes56, hermit hideaway, joebro-obsessed89, countryLexluv and Satan's Camero 1997. I appreciate that you guys/gals are reviewing and as I have promised, you've been getting sneak peaks. While I really do appreciate the adds to story alerts and such, reviews let me know if I'm staying true. So please, help me keep to the path that I'm laying.

Sorry this chapter is a little short, but I sprained my right hand and have to wear a brace. Makes for slow going.

Chp 21

When Tyler finally woke up the next morning, he was stiff, but he knew that he had to get up. Limping slightly, he made his way to the bathroom and took a hot shower, letting the water cascade over him after he washed. Sighing softly, he finally turned the water off and stepped out to dry off. He didn't bother with shaving since it took so long for him to grow anything resembling even five o'clock shadow. After finishing the rest of his morning routine, he got dressed and opted for a pair of black cargo pants with a burgundy polo shirt.

He wasn't really surprised to find Ollie working at his desk when he came out of his room. Looking around, he realized that they were alone even before his brother spoke.

"Clark had take care of a few things this morning." Ollie put down what he was reading and stood up. "We need to talk Tyler."

Tyler sighed and went to the kitchen, fixing himself something to eat. "I know we do and after what happened this weekend, there's no longer any way to put it off."

"So are you and Bart together?"

That stopped him cold for a moment before he nodded slightly and poured himself a glass of juice. "Have been for about 8 months."

"How did you two meet?"

A soft groan came from the younger Queen as he fixed the bagel that just popped up. "That is part of what I still have to tell you about why I came to Metropolis."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, Tyler looked up at his brother. "Let's just say you're no longer the only brother that has taken his desire to help to another level."

Oliver had to turn and walk away before he exploded. His emotions kept flicking back and forth between fear and anger. If he was understanding what Tyler meant, then his brother had decided to follow in his footsteps and take up the mantel of crime fighting. "How long?" The words came out clipped between clenched teeth as he stood looking out over Metropolis.

"Officially, since right after Christmas. Did a bit before then as well, but nothing really serious." He watched his brother carefully. It was obvious by the set of his shoulders that Ollie was pissed.

"And how did you meet Bart?"

"I helped him out of a jam." Taking a drink of juice, he paused a second before telling his brother how he ran into the speedster.

_10 months ago_

_Tyler watched from the rooftop of a vacant building near the docks in Star City. He knew that his brother was doing his part closer to mid-town and was trying to stay out of his way. There was no way that he was ready to tell him just yet what he was doing at night._

_Movement down below caught his attention and he watched as someone suddenly appeared before the doors he was watching. An eyebrow rose as he watched while he automatically started wondering how someone could move that fast. One minute, no one had been there and then before he could blink, there was a brunette working the lock. He stood slowly and moved closer to the rapelling line he'd set up earlier, not taking his eyes off the warehouse across from him._

_When the alarms sounded, he rapelled to the ground and started towards the warehouse, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. He slipped inside, hugging the wall as he moved towards where the noise he was now hearing was located. Frowning, he spotted the guy he'd seen coming in earlier being held by two brutes. Another jerk was working the guy over while 3 others egged him on. He snorted at hearing the quirks and quips coming from the brunette._

_Shaking his head, he stepped out from behind the crates he was using for cover and took off running, launching himself at the closest thug. It only took a few moments before the brunette was free and they both escaped, leaving the six idiots tied up on the floor. Once they were a safe distance away, Tyler looked over at the brunette and removed the mask he'd been using to hide his face._

_Grinning, he locked eyes with the brunette. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that sometimes slow is better?"_

_A snort issued from the shorter man. "Nah, speed's more my thing."_

"_Didn't seem to help you back there."_

"_The bozo that was using me for a punching bag surprised me is all." He stuck a hand out. "Bart Allen, thanks for the save."_

"_Tyler Queen, and trust me." He grinned letcherously at him. "It was my pleasure. What do you say we grab something to eat? My treat."_

_Bart nodded. "I could eat." Raising an eyebrow, he nodded at Tyler. "You going to wear that?" He was referring to the almost ninja style outfit the other man was wearing._

"_Nope, have something to change into at my bike." Their escape had taken them back to where he had stashed his black Buell Lightning. Without preamble, he grabbed his bag and stripped down to his pants, putting the items he took off back in the bag as he pulled out a long sleeved Henley and leather jacket. Grinning, he looked at Bart. "Guess I'll have to trust you, huh?" Sliding his shoes off, he let the pants drop, leaving him in boxers until he pulled his jeans back into place. Stowing the last of his clothes and pulling his boots on, he looked at Bart._

"_Wanna ride?"_

_The brunette could only nod. He'd figured out years ago that he leaned more towards guys than girls, but if the girl was pretty enough, he'd go for it. The man that stood in front of him left him speechless. His physique was one of an athlete, with the shoulders a bit broader than the hips that spoke of upper body strength. The fluidity with which he moved told Bart that he was comfortable in his body and with himself as a whole. All of it made him want to get to know the blonde a lot better._

"_Hop on." Tyler straddled the bike, grinning slightly when the younger man climbed on behind him and put his arms around his waist. "I promise, I won't bite. Least not yet."_

"We talked for a while at the diner and kinda went our separate ways. When you brought him to the penthouse in Star City a few weeks later, we picked things up from there. Guess that's why I was comfortable with him when you introduced us."

Oliver had been silent the entire time that his brother was talking. It infuriated him to no end that Tyler was putting his life in danger like this. True, he was doing the same thing, but he was taking precautions while Ty wasn't. It also scared the hell outta him. He finally turned to face his little brother.

"I don't want you doing this Tyler. It's too dangerous."

Tyler frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

"I said it's too dangerous."

"Oh, but it's okay for you to do it? That's kinda the pot calling the kettle black, dontcha think?"

"This isn't about me."

"The hell it isn't! You can't dictate how I'm going to live my life. I can make my own decisions and I don't need your permission to do it." He'd moved closer to his brother as he talked. "Just because you're older than me doesn't mean that you are in charge."

"Oh really?" Oliver stepped closer to his brother. "You are not going to do this Tyler."

"And just who is going to stop me? You?" He shook his head. "I'd like to see you try."

The fight was over in minutes and left behind a broken desk, couple of lamps and picture frames. Among the debris, Oliver laid sprawled upon the ground unconscious, a bruise darkening on his jaw while blood trickled slowly from the split in his lip.

Tyler wiped at the blood that came from the cut above his eye, but did nothing to try and stop it. He stared at his brother for a few moments before he packed a bag and left. After hailing a cab, he texted Clark to let him know that he'd had a fight with Ollie and that he was taking off for a few days. Then he called Bart.

"Your dime my time."

"What hotel are you staying in?" Tyler was trying hard to keep his emotions in check.

Bart frowned, but told the blonde where he was staying and listened as he told it to someone else. "What's going on Tyler? What happened?"

"I'll tell you when I see you." He hung up before the brunette could ask anymore questions, then turned his phone off. Flipping it over, he removed the GPS chip and tossed it out the window before settling back for the rest of the ride.

As soon as Tyler had hung up, Bart had started pacing. His lover had sounded stressed and upset. Very few things could push the blonde to that level and he was willing to bet that Ollie had something to do with it. He was tempted to call the older man and find out what had happened, but decided to see what Ty had to say first. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. He'd purposely chosen a hotel that was less than 5 miles from the clock tower so he could be close to Tyler. So when the knock came at his door, he opened it and was shocked at the blonde's appearance.

"Sweet jesus, Tyler." He pulled him into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him before escorting him to the bathroom then making him take a seat on the closed toilet. "What happened?"

"Got in a fight with Ollie." He told him what had happened before he left the penthouse, flinching slightly as the younger man cleaned up the cut above his eye. When he finished, he started crying softly. "Can't believe I just left him laying there. I didn't even check to see if he was okay."

Bart pulled him into a hug, holding the blonde against his chest. "Clark will make sure he's okay Ty. Then later you can call him." He felt the head shake against him.

"I don't want to talk to him right now. Not for a couple of days at least."

"He's going to want to know where you are, if you're okay."

Tyler pushed him back a bit and looked up at him. "No, Bart. Oliver does not get to know where I am until I'm ready to talk to him again."

They stared at each other for a couple of minutes before the brunette nodded. "Okay, but why don't you lay down for a bit and get some rest? Looks like you could use it."

With a nod, Ty got to his feet, groaning softly as his hip protested. "Don't happen to have a heating pad do you?" He started making his way into the bedroom, dropping his shoes and shirt as he went.

"I can go out and get one, wh--" He didn't finish the question as he saw the bruise that rose out of Tyler's waistline. "Damn, is that from where you fell at the club?"

"Yeah and it's still kinda tight." He snorted. "Then again, I don't think the fight with Oliver helped any either."

"Probably not." Bart helped his lover lay down on the bed, easing his legs up for him so he didn't have to turn. "Try to get some rest and I'll go down to the gift shop and see if they have a heating pad." He placed a light kiss against the blonde's temple, noticing that he was already starting to drift off. Quietly, he slipped from the room and headed downstairs.

Clark frowned when he got the text message from Tyler, wondering exactly what he meant by a fight with Ollie. His confusion turned to concern and he sped to the penthouse. "Ollie?" Stepping out of the elevator, he was shocked at the state of the living area. That shock turned to fear when he saw his boyfriend unconscious on the floor. "Ollie." Gently, he cradled the blonde's head in his lap as he started coming around.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. He texted me a few minutes ago and said you two had a fight, but that was it."

"Sonofabitch." Ollie started to sit up, but a hand on his chest stopped him. "Let me up Clark. I have to find him."

"Do you really think he's going to let you find him? Think about it Ollie. If he doesn't want to be found, then it's just going to be a wasted effort."

The blonde sighed. "You don't understand Clark. He's picked up my habit of going out at night."

Clark was quiet for a few moments. "And that scared you."

"Hell yes it scared me. He's my little brother. I'm supposed to protect him and I can't do that if he's off trying to protect people."

"Have you ever thought that it scares him that you do it? Or did you just let your anger cover up your fear?"

Ollie's silence spoke volumes to the brunette, who sighed. "I keep telling you that he's a lot like you, maybe more than either one of you are willing to admit.." He helped his lover to his feet, steadying him when he swayed slightly. "Maybe if you had actually talked to him about it, he might have been willing to listen."

"I have to know that he's okay Clark. Neither one of us were pulling any punches and I got in a few good licks of my own before he knocked me out. Long as I know he's okay, or at least somewhere safe, I'll stay away from him for a few days."

Clark sighed. "I'll have Chloe try and track his cellphone. Maybe she can turn it on remotely and you can call him. For now, let's get you and this place cleaned up."

When Bart returned with the heating pad, he also brought up a couple of sports drinks for Tyler, who was asleep. Quickly, he set the heating pad up and turned it on, sliding a towel under it before he placed in on his lover's hip. Once that was done, he slipped outside and down to the street before speeding off. He was going to call Ollie and let him know that Ty was okay, but he wasn't going to give him a way of finding out where they were staying.

He came to a stop at a small coffee shop outside of Granville and used the payphone there to call Oliver's number, then waited for him to pick up.

Once his phone started ringing, Ollie quickly dug it out of his pocket. He frowned when he didn't recognize the number, but answered it. "Queen."

"Don't say my name Ollie. I just called to let you know that Tyler's okay."

Clark watched as Oliver visibly relaxed while on the phone, but didn't try and listen in. If it was Tyler, he was just happy the younger Queen was okay enough to call. If the caller was someone else, Ollie would tell him about it once he was done.

"How bad did I hurt him?"

"By your actions? He's got a cut above his eye that I closed with butterfly sutures, a few new bruises and his hip is bothering him again. Went out and got a heating pad for that before I stepped out to call you. Your words really hurt him, man. You know he wouldn't be careless or anything when he goes out at night. Allowing your fear to turn into anger at him is just going to push him away. You've got to trust him Ollie." He was quiet for a moment. "How are you?"

"He managed to split my lip and I've got a wicked bruise coming up on my jaw. Hit my head on the way down, but Clark says nothing's broke or anything." The blonde sighed. "I do trust him. Just want him to be safe."

"He's not the one that was knocked unconscious during your fight. It's been a while since you've seen what he can really do Ollie. Maybe you should take a look at some of his event tapes before you start making judgments. For now, don't try to contact him. He might be upset that he left you laying on the floor without checking to see if you're okay, but he's also still pretty pissed at you."

"You'll look out for him? Call me if he needs anything until he's ready to talk?"

"I'll always take care of him Ollie, you have my word. I love him and seeing him like this makes me hurt because I know that I can only help him work through the pain, not take it away."

Ollie could feel tears start to form at the back of his eyes. "Tell him I'm sorry and I'll be here when he's ready to talk."

"I will. I gotta go before he wakes up. And trying to trace this call isn't going to help. I'm no where near where we're staying. If something changes, I'll call you." Sighing, the young speedster hung up. Sometimes he just wanted to slap some sense into both of the brothers. Taking off, he made his way back to the hotel, stopping to grab something they could re-heat later before going back into the room.

Setting the food on the table, he stripped to his boxers and joined the blonde in bed, content to just hold him while he slept.

Clark looked over at his lover when Ollie hung up. "Tyler okay?"

"Yeah, that was the guy he was at the club with the other night. Said Ty was with him and that except for a cut above his eye and some bruises, he's okay. Was worried about me because he just left me laying here, but that he was still pissed at me."

"What about you talking to Tyler?" He walked over and put his arms around the older man.

"Said not to try and call him, to let Ty call me, but that if something happened or Tyler needed me, he'd call whether Ty wanted him to or not." Ollie rested his head against Clark's chest and let the tears he'd been holding back start to fall. "God Clark, what have I done?"


	22. Chp 22 Good Advice

Still don't own anyone or anything you recognize except for Tyler, who is my own creation.

Thanks for the reviews and welcome Val to the fold of readers/reviewers. Just a reminder, so far in the story, Clark does not know about the JL. That is why Ollie has not been saying Bart's name and why Ty only told his brother without Clark being around. This story is on the backside now and starting to fall towards completion. Next up is a Rage re-write to include Tyler, then a holiday story. I'm not sure if I'm going to re-write Crimson or anything from Rage to Justice. I do want to get to Justice and get that re-written. After that, it's all AU.

Help me with my dilemma. Go to the poll on my profile and vote.

Chp 22

Tyler opened his eyes slowly, noticing the shift in light that indicated it was late in the afternoon. The warmth on his hip let him know that Bart had replaced the heating pad once again. He frowned when he realized that his lover was talking to someone in the room, but before he could move a hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"Don't move around so much Ty."

The voice belonged to another member of the team that his brother was building to challenge Lex Luthor. He should have known that Bart would call in reinforcements after his fight with Ollie.

"Hey AC." He let the other blonde help him to roll onto his back, then looked up at him. "How long have you been here?"

"Only about an hour. Bart just went out and is getting us something to eat." Arthur Curry, or AC to almost everyone, took a seat in a chair next to the bed the younger Queen rested in. "He filled me in on the past few months."

A soft blush crept over Tyler's features as AC's voice held a note of disappointment in it.

"I'm not mad at you bro, but I do wish that you had let at least Victor or I know what you were doing even if you weren't going to tell Oliver right away. You don't have any special abilities Tyler, and I think we'd feel better if we knew for sure just where your skills rested at."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Just a good workout. I won't make you swim against me because we both know you'll lose that one. If it was against anyone else, I know you can hold your own. Also, I know that you're pretty damn close to Ollie with a bow or crossbow, but I want to know how you fight. It'll go a long way to setting my mind at ease if I know that you can handle yourself when the going gets tough." He was quiet for a moment. "And if it comes down to it, I can help you convince Oliver to let you work with us."

Tyler frowned at him. "Why would you do that AC? It'd put you directly in the path of a pissed off Oliver Queen and we both know the kind of stuff that happens to people in those positions."

"I'd do it because I know that you're not careless Tyler. Yeah, not seeking help sooner when you were so worn down and thought it was exhaustion only to find out you were being poison wasn't exactly smart. You did seek help though: you went to your brother whom you knew would do whatever it took to find out what was wrong. No matter how much you two might fight, you love each other. That might be why you fight so much."

"He's trying to make my decisions for me. I've been doing that for myself since I was 17, AC. It's kinda hard to step back and give up that control again."

"Dude, there was a reason you had to do it for yourself at that age, but that doesn't mean you have to let him have total control now. When you're ready to talk to him again, have Clark or Chloe sit in with you guys. Either one of them should be able to keep it from coming to blows again. If it comes down to it, Clark can just hold you two apart until you come to your senses."

Tyler was quiet for a few moments, then slowly nodded. "All right, when do you want to do this?"

"Not until tomorrow at the earliest. That hip of yours needs to rest after today. Besides, I'm going to have to hold you down here in a few minutes."

"Why?"

"Because you've got a few pieces of glass just under the skin in the middle of that bruise and Bart can't hold you still while he's trying to get it out."

"Thought it was just the knot in the muscle."

AC chuckled. "Nope. When he gets back, we'll eat and then you can take a shower before we get them out. That way you can use the hot water to loosen the muscle up a bit." His watch beeped and he got up, coming back a few minutes later with something in his hand and a bottle of water. "Bart told me you'd need these."

Ty took the meds from him and the water. When he left the penthouse, he'd made sure to grab all his meds. He washed the pills down and then drained the water only to have his friend shove one of the sports drinks into his hand. Rolling his eyes, he took several long drinks before setting it aside. "Happy?"

"Yep." He turned to look at the door as it opened. "So what did you end up getting?"

Bart rolled his eyes. "Grateful much?" He put the pizzas and bag down on the table. "Pizza, salad, breadsticks and cheesecake for dessert. Authenic Chicago deep dish, too."

Tyler laughed softly at his lover. "Was kinda wondering what was taking you so long." He kissed the brunette softly as he made his way over to the bed. "I'm okay."

"Yeah, right. And that bruise on your hip is just make up."

"Okay, so it's sore. I still feel better than I have in a while, so relax."

"We can do that tonight. I got movies we can all watch after AC and I get that glass out of you."

"Fine, but let's eat while the pizza's still hot." He playfully shoved the other man away, grinning as AC handed him a plate and started eating.

Clark watched as the blonde continued to play with the food in front of him and sighed. After cleaning up the penthouse, he'd made Ollie come back to the farm with him. He knew that Tyler could call his brother if he wanted to get ahold of him, but having the older man sitting around the penthouse and mope was a bad idea. So, he'd brought him home where his mom made dinner for both of them. Looking over at her, he noticed that she was watching his lover worriedly before reaching out a hand to him.

"Oliver, he'll be okay. From everything that Clark's told me, your brother is a very resourceful young man and it sounds like he has caring friends, just like you do." She gently squeezed the blonde's hand.

Slowly, he raised his head to look at the mother of the man he loved and felt the tears come to his eyes again. "I feel like I pushed him away. What if he doesn't come back?" He didn't stop her as she pulled him up and led him into the living room. Once there, she sat them down on the couch and held him. It was the last straw and he started crying once again.

Martha Kent gently held the blonde billionaire. When Clark had first told her that he was seeing the older man, she'd been hesistant. Not because Oliver was a man, but the fact that Clark's track record with billionaires was anything other than great. After he'd told her that the blonde was also the Green Arrow, she'd changed her opinion. Now, holding the young man in her arms while he cried, made her care about him like a son. Softly, she rubbed his back.

"He'll come back Oliver. From what I understand of your brother, he'll talk to you again if for no other reason than to figure out where you both stand. When he does, you have to be willing to listen to him." She gently pushed him away so she could look into his eyes. "I mean, really listen. He lost his childhood when your parents died. Then he lost the rest of his youth when you went missing. During that time, he had to rely on his instincts and everything he'd learned: from you, school and what little he might have remembered of your parents. As much as we hate to see the ones we love step out from under our wings, we can't stop them. It's a part of life. Yes, we fear what might happen to them, but we can't let that fear drive our decisions or we will drive them away."

Clark took a seat on the other side of the blonde and sat close to him, letting him know that he was there for him as well. He knew that his mother wasn't just talking about Oliver and Tyler, but about him and how she'd had to realize that he was a man with his own destiny now. Just like she was fulfilling hers by going to the Senate.

"I can't stand seeing him hurt. Every time it happens, I feel like I failed him. That I didn't teach him enough or try hard enough to protect him."

"Broken bones, wounded hearts, skinned knees and other illnesses are a part of life Oliver. You can't protect him from that. What you can do is be there for him when something happens. For someone who is only 6 years older than his brother, you've done a remarkable job taking care of him. Now you have to step back and let him try out his wings, but you can do so with the knowledge that you've given him everything he needs to fly successfully on his own. It might take him a few tries to get it right, but just stick with him and he'll come out of it just fine."

Ollie blushed slightly, then took a shuddering breath as he sat up more, then leaned back against Clark. "Guess I still see Tyler as a kid sometimes even though he proved he was an adult when he stepped into my place at Queen Industries. It's just, when I came back, he looked so broken and despite it being two years since that time, I guess I sometimes still see him like he was that day."

Clark wrapped his arms around the blonde, holding him close, then looked at his mom. "Tyler's had a few nightmares since he came to Metropolis. Each time, he'd wake up screaming, scared and in a cold sweat. I can see why Ollie worries about him, especially when he told me that for the first month or so after he got back Tyler would have those kind of nightmares on a nightly basis. And if not a nightmare, then he'd wake up and find him standing at the foot of the bed, just watching him."

"Those kind of things make you want to hold onto Tyler, I agree, but you've got to give him space Oliver. If you keep holding on so tightly, he's going to keep testing you until you give him a reason to run away from you. That's when you'll have lost him. Right now, you've got the chance to let him become almost an equal. He might need it more than you know."

Leaning forward, Ollie kissed her softly on the cheek and hugged her. "Thank you, Mrs. Kent."

She smiled at him and laid a hand on his cheek. "It's Martha, Oliver. You're dating my son, so I think you've earned that right. Now, what do you two say we finish dinner and then have some apple pie. I have to go back to Topeka tomorrow, but I want you to bring Tyler with you out here for Thanksgiving, Oliver and I won't take no for an answer."

Clark chuckled softly. "She's serious Ollie, so I wouldn't try to argue with her about it."

The blonde blushed again. "Don't think I'm going to try, but dinner is sounding pretty good right now." He let the brunette help him to his feet and held his hand while they walked back to the kitchen to finish eating.

Tyler sighed as he looked in the mirror. More bruises had come out on his chest from some of Ollie's punches, but they didn't hurt. He figured he got the glass in his hip when his brother actually got the best of him with a hip throw and he landed on a broken picture frame. Shaking his head, he pulled his boxers on and went back out into the bedroom.

Bart looked up as the blonde came out and shook his head. "One of these days you two are going to seriously hurt each other if you don't sit down and talk this crap out."

"I know and earlier I let my anger get the best of me, which led to the fight."

AC put a hand on his shoulder. "Lay down on the bed on your stomach with your right hip close to the edge. It'll be easier for Bart to get the glass that way since they're more on the side than towards the front."

Nodding, Tyler took up the position on the bed. "Let's just get this over with."

"Need you to lay on your left arm Ty. Since it's still in the brace, we don't want to chance hurting it again. Then give AC your right wrist and try to relax."

When Tyler handed him his wrist, AC bent the arm at the elbow and held it at the small of his back before putting his other hand between the blonde's shoulder blades and pressing down. "Okay Bart."

Bart nodded and pulled his lover's boxers down enough so he could see the bruise clearly with the help of the lamp he'd repositioned. In the middle of one of the deeply bruised areas were 3 small cuts. He'd already felt them earlier when Tyler was asleep and found the glass underneath. After trying once by himself to get the pieces out, he'd called AC for help, knowing Ty would refuse to go to the doctor in case they called Ollie. Plus, the blonde was close after having finished something for Ollie and was more than happy to help.

It took almost 20 minutes to get the three pieces out, the wounds flushed and bandaged. Tyler had fought them only a little until the last one, which was in a bit deeper and then it had taken a lot for AC to hold him still so that Bart could finish. Now, he rested against the brunette on one bed while AC was stretched out on the other.

"Thanks for coming AC." Tyler stated, looking over at him.

"Don't worry about it bro, you'd have done the same for me." He got up and slipped in the movie they'd decided on, then got a couple bottles of water for himself before stretching back out on the bed.

Bart looked down at Tyler as he slept against him. His lover hadn't even made it through the first half of the movie before he drifted off. Sighing softly, Bart looked over at AC. "He's asleep again."

"Let him sleep dude. He needs it right now and tomorrow he'll need it even more."

"You're going to workout with him tomorrow, aren't you?"

"The sooner we get it done, the better. That way, if he needs me to, I can back up Tyler's claims that he can take care of himself out there."

Bart blushed slightly. "When I was out, I dropped a package off at the penthouse for Ollie. Has all of Ty's event tapes plus team and private practices for the past year and a half in it. Ty keeps copies so he can watch them at home."

"He holds back a lot out there. I caught one of his gymnastic meets in Star City right after the Christmas break. Having seen what he can do when he thinks no one is watching," he shook his head, "It's a lot different from what he lets people see."

"I know. Been to a couple of his demos and tournaments. Noticed he held back with some fighters more than others."

"Tomorrow, he doesn't need to hold back. I want you to record it Bart. That might help Ollie feel a little better about Tyler following in his footsteps. Just have to make sure he doesn't watch it with Clark around just yet, unless he goes ahead and tells him about all of us."

Bart snorted. "Tyler's tried a couple of times to get Ollie to tell Clark, but right now, or at least until today, Ollie's a bit more focused on trying to prove who poisoned Tyler and took a shot at him."

"Can't say I really blame him about that, but we could use Clark's help with some of this stuff, bro."

"I know, but for now, let's worry about getting things patched up between boss man and the rookie."

AC laughed softly. "He finds out you're calling him rookie and he might just refuse to sleep with you for a few days."

The speedster grinned at their resident fish. "Him? Refuse me? You're dehydrated amigo and it's causing you to hallucinate." He tossed a bottle of water at him and went back to watching the movie.

Ollie sighed as he rested against Clark's bare chest. They'd gone to the barn to be alone after dinner and the talk with Martha, which had helped immensely. Now, he laid sated against his lover, who was softly stroking his arm.

"You okay?" The words rumbled in the brunette's chest, bringing a grin to the blonde's face.

"Yeah, I am. Your mom helped a lot." He raised his head and softly kissed his boyfriend, letting it deepen slightly. "I'm glad you dragged me out here."

"She's been wanting to see you and meet Tyler, but I figured at the least it would give you a chance to get out of the penthouse and stop worrying a bit."

"Gotta admit I do feel a bit better about actually sitting down and talking with him about all of this. Still not so sure I can let him get out there with me and patrol."

"Take him with you a few times or find a way to test him. See what he can really do. If he's with you on patrol, at least you'll be able to watch his back and he can watch yours."

"His friend suggested that I watch his event tapes along with his team and private practices. Said that if I did, then I'd see just how much Ty held back in competition. Figure it can't hurt and if I know my little brother, it'll be a couple of days still before he calls."

"Then take the time to do it. It might give you the peace of mind you need to realize that he can take care of himself if he gets in a jam." He lightly nipped the blonde along the collarbone. "And if you need someone to act as a referee between you two, let me know and I'll be happy to oblige."

"Hmmm, might have to take you up on that offer." Grinning, he nipped his lover's lower lip. "Later. Right now, I've got something else I'm wanting to oblige."


	23. Chp 23 Decisions, Good? or Bad?

Typical disclaimer: don't own Smallville or any of the characters. Just Tyler.

To the those of you that have voted in the poll, thanks. The decision has been made with the reasoning in the other being the deciding factor: we're carrying over. It actually helps because of how the timeline works for this story to actually coincide with the holidays. Thanks again.

Warning: very angsty chapter, but it has a purpose. There'll be another one up today, I promise.

Chp 23

Bart winced as AC hit the mat yet again. For the past hour and a half, he and Tyler had been sparring. It had started off light, with both men figuring out the other's style. After that, it had quickly escalated and while they were only going about half-speed, punches weren't being pulled. He shook his head as AC got back to his feet and tried a hip throw on Tyler. While he did get Tyler on the ground, the blonde planted a foot in AC's chest and sent him to the mat once again. Springing to his feet, Tyler looked down at the blonde and grinned.

"Enough?" He'd already removed his shirt after it became soaked with sweat and his hair was plastered to his head, but despite the fact that he hadn't really been working out the past few months, he was still barely breathing hard.

AC looked up at the blonde and sighed. "You know, I knew you held back at the tournaments, but I thought I told you not to hold back with me today?" He got to his feet, watching as his friend blushed hard. "Don't worry about hurting me Tyler. The point of today is to push yourself and find out what your limits are, okay? So stop holding back, bro."

Tyler nodded and walked over to the bleachers where Bart was sitting. He didn't even glance at the brunette as he grabbed a bottle of water, then tossed it to AC. "You're gonna need it." He took a couple sips from his own then removed the brace from his wrist. Reaching into his gym bag, he pulled out a roll of sports tape and wrapped his wrist with it, forming a sort of support around his wrist and crossing his palm. When he was finished, he put the tape away and turned back to face his friend.

"Let's go."

If Bart had been impressed before, he was blown away now. Tyler was using a combination of martial arts styles and gymnastic manuevers to almost literally wipe the mat with AC. Whatever bruises or injuries might still be plaguing his lover were not evident and it didn't surprise him when AC was the one to call a halt to things less than 20 minutes later.

"All right, enough." AC layed on the mat, breathing heavily. The younger Queen had taken him by surprise and that didn't happen often. Sighing, he sat up and shook his head. "Next time, Victor can have all the fun."

Tyler rolled his eyes and went over to the high bar. They'd gotten permission to use one of the local gymnastic club's training areas for the morning and he was going to make the most of it. He used a running jump to catch hold of the bar and start a routine.

Handing AC a bottle of water, Bart shook his head. "Something tells me that Tyler was pulling his punches the other day with Oliver."

Taking the bottle, the blonde drained it easily. "Whatever would give you that idea?" He shook his head. "If Oliver doesn't let him help us, we're going to lose a strong ally." He was silent for a few moments, he watched Tyler work on the bar, then looked over at Bart. "Is he supposed to be doing that yet?"

"I don't think so, but are you going to tell him to stop?"

"No way. Damn kid bruised a couple of ribs that last time."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just kinda surprised me is all." He shook his head. "I always knew that he held back, but until today, I never realized by how much." His eyes widened slightly as he watched Tyler pull off a double back somersault in a layed out position. "He really is good."

Bart nodded. "He is, and if you're done with him, we should probably call it a day before he pushes himself too far. Gotta remember that he's been pretty much stalled with working out since he's been here."

AC nodded and looked over at Tyler, who was looking at the still rings. "Hey Ty, let's go man."

Tyler had felt at peace as he went through his routine on the high bar. The sparring session with AC had allowed him to vent his frustrations and the high bar had been the icing on the cake. He was contemplating a ring routine when AC called to him. As he turned towards his friends, he realized how tired he was and nodded before starting that way.

"He over did it." The statement came from Bart as he watched his lover walk towards them.

"Looks like it. We'll let him rest at the hotel." He looked at the brunette. "Want me to give you two some time alone?"

"Thanks AC, but I might need your help cause he looks dead on his feet right now."

Once Tyler reached the pair, he sighed. "Think I over did it a bit."

"You want to take a shower here or at the hotel?" Bart was watching the blonde closely just like he knew AC was.

"Hotel. Don't think I'm going to be able to keep on my feet much longer."

AC slipped an arm around his waist and nodded at Bart. "Grab his bag, bro and I'll help him out to the car. Just have the back door open for us."

Bart grabbed Tyler's bag and sped off to the car. After unlocking the doors, he opened the back as AC came into view, still helping Tyler. Once they got the blonde settled in the back, he handed the keys to AC. "I'll let you drive." He settled into the back with Tyler after opening a sports drink and trying to get some of it into his boyfriend.

By the time they got back to the hotel, Tyler was asleep with his head on Bart's lap. Looking up as AC opened the door, the brunette just shook his head. "Mind carrying him up? Think trying to wake him will be pretty useless."

"No problem."

Half an hour later, Bart had Ty cleaned up and resting while AC had gone out to get them all something to eat. Stretching out beside the younger Queen, he rested his head on his chest and a small smile broke out on his face as Tyler automatically draped an arm around the younger man. Sighing softly, Bart joined his lover in sleep.

While the trio had spent the morning testing Tyler, Oliver had been helping Clark around the farm. He might not have been familiar with the chores, but the work helped to settle his nerves and distract him from thinking about his brother. Now, he sat shaking his head while Clark tossed haybales into the upper loft.

"You make that seem so easy and I know from tossing them onto the trailer that it's not."

Clark chuckled softly as he took a seat on the stairs next to Ollie. "I've had a lot of practice." He watched the blonde for a few moments. "You doing okay?"

"Keeping busy is helping, but I still want to know where he is and how he's doing." The older Queen sighed softly. "Right now, I feel like offering him anything if he'll just talk to me again."

An arm slipped around the blonde and drew him closer. "Your brother needs time Ollie. Maybe he needed a couple of days away. I mean, except for this past weekend, you two have been together almost every day since he got to Metropolis. Yeah, he's been sick or hurting for most of that time, but for a couple of weeks you barely left his side. After living with you, but not having you around that much for the past year or so, imagine what that's like for him."

It was quiet for a few minutes before Ollie nodded. "I guess you're right. As long as we're both doing our own thing, it's fine, but it's when we stay cooped up together that we get on each other's nerves."

"It's not only that handsome. Tyler hasn't been able to work out his frustrations or his anxiety. If he was able to do that, I think things would have been easier for him to deal with. Instead, you've had someone that was busy almost every day of the week and ground him to a total standstill. That's not easy for some people to take. From everything that I've learned about Tyler, he's one of those people that it's almost impossible for."

Again, the blonde nodded. "He hates not being able to do what he wants, when he wants. I know that I'm the same way, but with Tyler, it just keeps building until he can find a release." He sighed. "When Tyler started taking classes at Star City U when he was still a junior at Excelsior, I knew it was going to be hard. His senior year, all but one class was at Star City. By the time he actually attended the university full time, he had almost two years of his degrees done."

"That definitely explains a few things."

Ollie cocked an eyebrow at him. "You mean the finishing two majors with two minors in three years?" At Clark's nodded, he continued. "Yeah, officially he's only attended the university for 3 years, which is what a lot of people look at when they're going over your transcripts. Besides, the degrees he's been working on normally take people 5 or 6 years to complete and that's without 2 minors as well as the commitments he made to the teams."

"Take it that's how he was supposed to be graduating the first week of December?"

"Yeah, but Bryan's still not letting him travel. Said that it could be a few more months." He was quiet for a moment. "He also told me that the poison was engineered for Tyler."

Clark frowned. "You mean that someone made it specifically for Tyler?"

Nodding, Ollie sighed. "Said that if he'd gone to a regular hospital and the whole panel plus the specific tests I requested weren't run, that it'd probably have shown up as just a regular virus. That's why it's taking so long for him to fully get over its effects."

"Does Tyler know all of this?"

"Bryan told him at his appointment Thursday. Called me after Ty left. Guess that's part of the reason he didn't get home til later that night."

"We'll find who did this to him Ollie."

"I know. Just get the feeling that it's going to take a bit longer than we thought." He sighed heavily. "And we can't keep putting everything else off to just chase down leads on this. He's got projects due for the R&D department and I've got a few possible mergers coming up before Christmas."

"The stuff he's done for you and the R&D projects at Queen Industries, most of it ends up being pretty useful, doesn't it?"

"Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing anything when I look at what all he does, but you're right. If it's something for me specifically, almost all of it can be used to help me. The stuff he does for the company itself usually ends up helping a lot of people."

"So if he's made the stuff for you, and seen you use it to help get yourself out of jams and protect yourself, wouldn't it make sense that he would use some of the stuff himself?"

For several minutes there was only silence in the barn. Then, the older man chuckled softly. "Sure you're not older than me?"

Clark smiled at him. "I'm sure. Come on, let's go find out what mom's left us for lunch. Then we can decide what we're doing this afternoon."

When Tyler woke up, it was dark outside, rolling over, he found that he was alone in the bed. Frowning, he sat up slowly. He'd been certain that Bart had been laying with him earlier. Looking around, he realized that he was alone not only in the bed, but in the room. Sighing, he got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower and get cleaned up.

The hot water felt great pouring over his aching muscles. He knew that he'd pushed himself too hard that morning, but it had been worth it. AC forcing him to quit holding back during their sparring session had let him face off with an opponent that could equal him in speed, got a little on him in strength, but whose lack of experience in skilled fighting let Tyler get the upper hand. While AC was great at getting things done with brute strength, it was the finesse that he was lacking when it came to hand-to-hand.

Sighing softly, he turned the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist before stepping out of the shower. He cracked the door a bit to let some of the steam escape and stood looking in the mirror. The reflection that was staring back at him still looked haunted and he knew that was because of the rift that was currently between him and his brother. Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and willed the tears back that were threatening to fall. The entire time that Ollie had been missing, he felt that a part of him had died. That his reason for living had been taken from him and there was no chance for him to get it back.

Then, one day, that reason walked back into his life, but he was far from the same person that his brother had left behind. He felt broken inside and no matter how hard he pushed himself, no matter how hard he drove himself to be better, it never felt like it was enough. Like he could never measure up to his brother. So, he'd stopped trying to be better than him and started trying to be more like him. The first time he'd helped someone, it had felt really good. It gave him a sense of purpose once again.

Lowering himself to the floor, he leaned against the sink and drew his knees in to his chest, resting his head on them and let the tears fall silently. If Ollie didn't let him do this, the only choice left to him was to leave. He wanted this, no, he needed this to find himself again. Being able to fight beside his brother, to know that Oliver truly was at his back again as a brother, a friend, instead of as another authority figure, was what he needed to feel whole again. All the extra practice sessions with his senseis, his gymnastics coach and private tutors to help him learn other ways to rapell, climb and utilize the things in his environment had been to help him prepare for this. Then when he told his brother that he wanted to help, to do his part, it had ended with him knocking Ollie out and walking out.

Getting to his feet, he walked into the bedroom and got dressed. Quickly, he packed his bag and left the room. Leaving a note for Bart and AC was nowhere in his mind as he had a cab take him back to the penthouse. He didn't even glance around as he went to his bedroom and changed into jeans and sweatshirt before grabbing his helmet, jacket and gloves, put on his boots. His backpack was quickly stuffed with a few changes of clothes, his meds, a small first aid kit, some granola and power bars, bottled water and a map. The sleeping bag he kept in his closet came with him as he headed down to the garage and attached the items to his bike. A quick swipe of his hand rid his eyes of the moisture that gathered there as he climbed onto the bike, slipped on his jacket and helmet, started the custom blue Ducati and pulled his gloves on. Reaching under the fuel tank, he flipped a switch, disabling the tracking device. Pulling out of the garage, he didn't look back as he left Metropolis the same way he came in: without telling anyone.

In the motel room that Tyler Queen had recently vacated, Bart Allen stepped into the room and immediately knew that something was wrong. Flipping on the light, he looked around and realized that his lover was gone. A quick search of the room showed all of the blonde's things were gone as well. Speeding over to the penthouse, he searched there as well. Again, he found that while Tyler had been there, he was no longer present. A check of the garage showed his bike gone as well. There was no note anywhere and cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach. He'd known that the fight with Ollie had been hard on Tyler. His sudden departure showed him how truly bad it was and he wasted no time in calling the older Queen.

Oliver had been laying with Clark on the couch, absently watching TV and wondering if he should call Tyler when his phone ringing brought him up instantly. Hoping that it was his brother, he answered it without even looking at the caller ID. "Tyler?"

The choked sound on the other end didn't belong to his brother and sent his heart plummeting to his feet. It was the voice that shattered it. "He's gone Ollie. AC and I went to get another room and dinner for us all. When we got back, he was gone. He took everything with him and didn't leave a note."

"How--" He had to stop and take a deep breath before he could continue. "How long ago do you think he left?"

"No more than ten minutes. The towel he used in the shower is still warm. I've already searched the penthouse and he's not there either. His bike's gone, too."

"All right. You two start searching. Clark and I will search from here." Hanging up, Ollie found himself wrapped in the brunette's arms.

"What's wrong handsome?"

"Tyler took off." Ollie shivered in his boyfriend's hold as he dialed Chloe's number and barely gave her a chance to answer. "Chloe, I need you to try and track Tyler's bike again."

"Oliver? Why? What happened?" She was already starting the search even as she asked her questions.

Hesistantly, he told her about their fight and how Tyler had been staying with a friend, who had just called and let him know that his brother had taken off without so much as a note.

Frowning at her screen, she sighed. "It looks like he's disabled the tracking device Ollie. I can turn it on remotely, but it'll take me some time."

"Just do what you can Chloe. We'll keep in touch." As he hung up, the blonde turned to Clark. "Why is he doing this Clark? God, I need him to be a part of my life as much as I need you." Clinging to the younger man, he started to cry, wondering if maybe Martha was wrong and he had driven his brother away.


	24. Chp 24 Finding the Way

Don't own anyone or anything but Tyler. Making no money off of this. Only memories.

Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming. I know this one is kinda short, but there's a lot more chapters coming before Thanksgiving, including a Rage rewrite. Enjoy.

Chp 24

Tyler had finally stopped for gas about 100 miles from Metropolis. He'd used the map to take back road after back road, keeping away from the main highways with lots of traffic. It probably wasn't the smartest move with someone still trying to kill him, but he knew that it would slow down the search party that was more than likely looking for him by now. The small service station offered little besides gas, so he didn't linger as he filled his tank, grabbed a map for the states surrounding Kansas, paid for it all in cash and hit the road once again. The destination at this point wasn't important. He needed space to think, to determine if he was worthy to have Ollie for a brother, if Ollie was worthy of keeping him. Right now, any place but the familiar was good for him.

Bart kicked at the wall as he stopped beside AC. They'd been searching for almost 3 hours and nothing. "Where the hell is he AC?" He was way past anger and had stopped full bore at scared shitless. It had already been dark when Ty took off. Now, the temperature was dropping and it had started to snow. True, it wasn't unusual for Kansas in November, but he was pretty sure that being on motorcycle in this kinda weather was not the best thing.

The blonde laid a gentle hand on the speedster's shoulder. "We'll find him Bart. Victor's already looking as well in Star City and other people that Ollie knows have already been called in case he shows up there." He was stopped from saying anything else as Bart's phone rang.

"Tyler?" The brunette was past caring who was on the other end when he answered. All he wanted to hear was the younger Queen's voice letting him know that he was okay.

"I'll come back when I'm ready Bart. Right now--" The choked sob on the other end pained the brunette to no end.

"Please Ty, tell me where you're at."

"I need to think about some things lover and I can't do that with Ollie so close. Not when I don't know if he really needs me or even really cares about me."

"Jesus Tyler, he's going crazy trying to find you! How can you doubt that he cares about you?"

"If he cared about me Bart, he'd accept me doing this. He'd let me help him instead of just shuttling me off to the side. Ever since he came back, he's been different and I know that he was changed by what he went through, but at times I feel like he's trying to be more of a father than my brother. My brother is who I need, who I want."

"You need to tell him that Ty. Please, tell me where you are and I'll come get you." His emotions were coming through in his voice, but he was unable to stop.

"He won't listen to me anymore Bart. Every time I start to think that he sees me as an equal or at least as his brother again, something happens and he turns back into the guardian from hell." He was starting to get cold and huddled deeper into the sleeping bag. The snow was worse on the outskirts of Edge City and he'd sought shelter in a small grouping of rocks when he started having trouble controlling the bike.

Bart instantly knew that something was wrong because even though Ty was making sense, he was rambling. "You have to tell me where you are Tyler. The weather's getting bad and you could wreck on your bike."

Tyler shivered slightly. "Just living on the edge Bart." He sighed. "I need to go. Please, just stop looking." He hung up, but didn't turn the phone off as he burrowed down into the bag and pulled the top up around his head.

As soon as Tyler hung up, Bart looked over at AC, who had called Victor to have him start tracing Ty's cell. It wasn't the first time they'd dealt with a tempermental Queen and one of the first things AC had done when he arrived was put a new GPS chip in Tyler's phone. Now, they were waiting on Victor's results so that Ollie could be told.

"Thanks Victor. We'll let Ollie know. He and Clark were closer to that area." AC hung up and looked at the brunette, then started sending a text to Ollie. "Says he's about 10 miles from Edge City and is stationary. I'm sending him and Clark the coordinates now." After he was finished, he looked at Bart. "I know you want to go to him, bro, but right now he and Ollie need to fix this. Next time, we might not be so lucky finding him."

Bart just nodded, numb with relief. He didn't fight it as his friend pulled him into a hug. "He'll be okay speedster."

"You didn't hear him AC." This time, he let the tears flow. "He thinks Ollie doesn't care about him. That the reason Ollie won't let him help is that he's trying to be a father to Tyler when all Ty wants is a brother."

Without saying anything, AC picked the smaller man up and made his way over to the car he'd been using. Once he settled the brunette, he got in and took them back to the hotel, cancelling the other room when they got there. He forced Bart to take a shower and then took a seat on one of the beds and put his head in his hands. All he could do is pray that Ollie finds Tyler in time and that they find some common ground.

When Ollie got the text message, he swallowed a sob. "He's near Edge City." They were already on their way there, but the snow was starting to hamper them. "Coordinates put him about ten miles ahead."

"He'll be okay Ollie. Just have to keep believing that."

"Why did he run though Clark? I wasn't pressuring him into talking to me. He wanted me to wait for him to call me and I was. It was hurting me to do so, but I was waiting."

"Tyler's the only one that can answer that Oliver. You just have to give him the chance and listen, but you can't do it as someone that can control his actions. Think about the relationship you used to have with him, before you ended up on the island, before he had to step into your shoes. Maybe if you think about those days, it'll be easier for you to relate to him now."

"I'll try, but that was almost a lifetime ago." He leaned forward a bit. "There, off to the left near those rocks."

Clark pulled over near the bike that was parked off the side of the road, recognizing it quickly as Tyler's. Stepping out and looking around the area, he quickly found Tyler huddled in some rocks. "Over there Ollie." He started towards the younger Queen.

Ollie grabbed the blanket they'd brought and spread it out over the back seat of the SUV they were using. His own car and Clark's truck neither one had the traction to be out in this weather, so they'd stopped off and borrowed the SUV from a friend of his in Gotham, leaving his car.

Tyler heard the vehicle pull up, but it was too much effort for him to really do anything about it. When he felt someone cautiously pull down part of the sleeping bag, he barely cracked his eyes open. Seeing it was Clark, he sighed. "Hey Clark." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he closed his eyes again.

Without answering the blonde, Clark picked him up and carried him back to the vehicle. "He's cold Ollie. Let's get him back to someplace warm. I'll come back for his bike later."

"Put him in the back. I'll sit with him and try to get him started on warming up."

Nodding, the brunette placed Tyler gently on the back seat, the younger Queen's head coming to rest against his brother, who pulled him in close before wrapping the blanket around them both. Climbing into the driver's seat, he turned around, then glanced at Ollie in the rearview mirror. "Penthouse?"

"Yeah, it's only about another 5 minutes to there instead of back to Gotham." He reached his hand in and felt for his brother's cartoid pulse. "Pulse is strong, but slow. Once we get him back, I need you to run me a bath of tepid water for him."

"All right. Want me to call Chloe and have her go over and start anything?"

"No, I appreciate the offer though." He sighed, at least Ty was still shivering. "Think it's time that Tyler and I had a long talk about things."

Clark didn't get a chance to respond as the young man in question spoke up. "Nothing to talk about. You don't need me, so I was leaving."

"I don't know where you ever got the idea that I you're not needed Tyler, especially by me." He adjusted his hold and shifted his brother a bit so that he could look at him. "I know I've been an ass about a few things lately, but you're all the family I have left Tyler. I don't want to push you away. That was never my intentions with anything that I've ever tried to do for you. It's just," He paused for a moment. "When I was on that island, I made a vow to help those that couldn't help themselves. To do whatever I had to in order to help right some of the wrongs in this world. Seeing you, staring out at the skyline of Star City, you looked so broken." His hand carded through his brother's damp locks, trying to help them dry out a bit. "I knew that I was at least partially responsible for that look and without another thought, I immediately included you in the people that I was trying to protect."

"I never wanted you to expose yourself to what happens on the streets Tyler, but something that I didn't take into account was the fact that while I was gone, you grew up. You weren't the same little kid that had lost mom and dad nor were you the same teenager that should have been worrying about what frat you were going to join instead of what business deal will best serve as many parties as possible and cause the least amount of harm in the process."

"Then why do you still treat me like that teen and sometimes that kid? Why won't you let me help you Ollie?" He couldn't stop the tears that started. "I just want you at my back again. That's what I've wanted since you came home."

Oliver pulled his brother closer, letting his own tears fall. "I'm so sorry Tyler. I thought that by protecting you, I was watching your back. It took a very smart woman to show me the error of my ways just yesterday. I love you Tyler, and nothing will ever change that. Somewhere along the way, I decided that if I made your choices for you, then you couldn't get hurt. When you showed up and had been poisoned, not to mention by one that was tailor made for you, and then shot at, it made me want to protect you that much more, to shield you from everything that was going on. What I ended up doing was almost driving you right to someone that might want you dead."

"I'm sorry that I started that fight with you the other day. Was just so pissed at you that you were trying to control my decisions and no one had done that since I was 17. I let my anger get the best of me and that never should have happened."

"Yeah well, Clark was nice enough to point out that maybe we're a little more alike than we want to admit. You also have been kinda restricted about what you can do lately. So being a little on edge was a given." He sighed and tucked Tyler's head under his chin. "Clark's mom, Martha, wants us to come to the farm for Thanksgiving. I told her we'd be there."

Tyler chuckled softly. "Scared of your possible future mother-in-law."

Clark snorted. "You don't argue with my mom. It's kinda like trying to argue with you or Ollie when you know you're right."

"He's right Ty. Besides, she wants to meet you and I want you to meet her. If for no other reason than she's easy to talk to and knows about my night job."

Nodding his head, he sighed. "I'll go, but we still have a few things to talk about." He was getting tired again and rested his head against Ollie.

"We'll talk, but first we need to get you back, cleaned up and warm. Tomorrow is soon enough for us to talk about things, but I want you to stay in bed, okay? It's not an order, but this probably hasn't helped things." He was quiet for a moment. "And if you want to go on patrol with me in a few nights, you're going to need your rest."

His eyes flew open again and he looked up at the older Queen. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah, I do. Now, just relax until we get back home."

Tyler closed his eyes and relaxed. "I love you Ollie."

He placed a soft kiss on his brother's temple. "I love you too, little brother." Closing his own eyes, he felt his spirits lift just a bit. They might not be on a clear path yet, but he was willing to work on getting things back on track with his brother. With people like Martha and Chloe to keep him on track, and Clark being there for them as well, he thought that just maybe, they were getting a new family.

Clark grinned as he looked in the rearview mirror at the two brothers, then focused on the road again. His mom really had done a lot with her talk to Oliver yesterday. Maybe he'd take Tyler out there for a few days to just relax. His mom was due back in two days. It was something he'd have to ask her about. For now, he was content to watch over the two most important men in his life: the man he loved and the little brother he'd always wanted.


	25. Chp 25 Taking in Strays

I don't own Smallville or any of the characters you recognize. Only Tyler Queen belongs to me.

This is the last chapter in Another Queen in the Deck. The next story is going to be Collera Rifatta (Italian for Rage Redone) and is going to be the Rage re-write that I have been promising and should be up by tonight.

Chp 25

Bryan Douglas shook his head as he finished examining the young man in the bed. "Why I expected you to stay out of trouble, I have no clue. Guess it's a good thing Queen Industries employs me so that I can make housecalls." He watched as the younger Queen blushed.

Oliver chuckled softly from the doorway where he was observing. "I really appreciate you doing this Doctor Douglas. Tyler seems to trust you and since getting him to see a doctor is like pulling teeth, I was hoping you wouldn't mind making this housecall."

Nodding, Bryan stood up. "It's just a bad cold, but you were right to give me a call. With him still recovering from the after effects of that poison, his immune system is still a bit weaker. Right now, this cold is bordering on bronchitis. I'm going to go ahead and start him on antibiotics to keep it under control." He looked at his patient. "I want you to stay in bed for a few days and just rest." Grinning, he examined Tyler's wrist. "And no bike riding for a couple more weeks." Ruffling the kid's hair, he stood up and handed Ollie the bottle of antibiotics he'd brought as a precaution. "Lots of fluids, rest and follow the instructions on the bottle. You can give him Tylenol for any fever and an over-the-counter cough medicine. As for the question you asked me earlier, yes, as long as he does what he's supposed to."

"Thanks again Bryan." He took the bottle from him, watching him leave and then walked over to his brother, taking a seat on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Not that bad. I know you called him because you were worried." He blushed hard. "Guess it was kinda stupid to run off like I did the other night."

"You were upset Tyler, worried and not thinking clearly. Trust me, I understand about trying to duck out and get some space. Although, I don't think I've ever done it when it was getting ready to snow."

"If I had known it was going to snow, then I probably would have taken the jet somewhere. Keep telling you the weather took me by surprise." He coughed a couple of times, which is what had prompted Oliver to call the doc in the first place.

"Well, don't worry about it for right now." Handing him a glass of water, he waited until he'd drank his fill and set it aside again.

"So what did you ask him?"

"If it would be okay if you spent some time at a friend's house out in Smallville."

Tyler was confused for a moment, then arched an eyebrow at him. "You mean out there with Clark?"

"And his mom, Martha. I told you that she wants to meet you. There's a bunch of meetings I have to deal with before the holidays, otherwise, I'd take care of you." Ollie brushed a strand of hair off his brother's face. "I think you'd like it out there and it'll give you time to think things over."

"Guess patrolling with you is kinda out of the question for now, huh?"

"Definitely. At least until you're over this. After that, then I'll take you with me a few times, see how you do. In the mean time, we need to get you a decent costume made."

"Kinda have one."

"Like I said, decent. Around here, you might not want that hood until you get more familiar with the streets of Metropolis. I've got a couple of things in mind that might give you more peripheral vision."

"Got any examples?"

"Actually, I do, but not until you've gotten some rest. Besides, they're not ready yet. One of them is almost like a ninja mask."

"That might work better than the hood, but I'd still like to see them." He was quiet for a moment. "I think I'd like to meet Mrs. Kent."

Ollie laughed. "Yeah well, you think I mother hen you. Just wait."

The next day, Tyler found himself stretched out on the couch at the Kent farm, still trying to figure out how he'd gotten there. One minute, he was standing next to Oliver and meeting Clark's mom. The next, she seemed to be everywhere at once as she forced him to change into something more comfortable and then onto the couch, covered with a blanket, juice and tissues on the coffee table. Looking up when he felt pressure on the back of the couch, he spotted his brother and Clark.

"What the hell?"

Clark chuckled softly. "When Ollie called yesterday to say that he was bringing you out here, he told mom that you had a pretty bad cold. Since then, she's made a huge pot of chicken noodle soup, stocked up on juice and other stuff." He shrugged. "She never really got the chance to do this for me since I don't really get sick."

"Must be nice." Tyler sighed. "She barely knows me Clark. I mean, we didn't even meet until an hour ago."

Ollie snorted. "Sorry Ty, but I did try to warn you." He reached out and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You going to be okay here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just call me tonight, okay? If you get to worry about me, then I get to worry about you."

"I'll call you after dinner and send you a text when I get in from patrol, okay?"

"All right, thanks Ollie." He tried to fight down a yawn.

Clark grinned at him. "Get some rest Tyler. I'll be back this evening to do chores, so if you need something from the apartment, let me know and I'll bring it out with me, okay?"

"I will, thanks again Clark."

"Don't worry about it." The brunette left to say good-bye to his mom, who was doing something in the kitchen.

"You behave yourself Tyler."

"Come on Ollie, I'm not going to run off, especially right now, I promise." He yawned again and settled in against the pillow, drawing the blanket up. "You'd better get going or you'll be late for your first meeting."

"Okay, get some rest." Leaning down, he kissed his brother on the forehead. "Love you kiddo."

"Love you too Ollie." Ty almost mumbled the last as he drifted off to sleep.

Grinning slightly, Oliver made his way into the kitchen. "Thanks again for doing this Martha."

"It's not a problem Oliver. Besides, I know there's a couple of benefits going on this week and as much as I know that I should attend them, this gives me a valid reason to skip them."

Clark rolled his eyes. "What did you and dad used to tell me about shirking my responsibilities?"

She gently swatted his hand as he came up behind her and hugged her. "Watch it mister or I won't make pie tonight."

Oliver chuckled at the look on his boyfriend's face. "Think you hit a nerve there." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I still appreciate this. Right now, he's sleeping, but he was a little warm."

"Relax Oliver. Clark might never have been sick as a child, but Jonathon was several times since we got married. I'll take care of him, I promise. Now, you two should get going." She watched the two boys leave and shook her head at their antics, then she went to check on her newest charge.

There was a faint flush of fever in the cheeks of Tyler Queen, but that did nothing to hide the fact that he was definitely from the same stock as his brother. Martha had been warned by both Clark and Oliver that Tyler, or Ty as it was suggested she call him, was every bit as stubborn as his older brother. She grinned, that was something she'd found out already from Clark about the older Queen. Walking over to the couch, she gently laid a hand on the forehead of the sleeping boy. He was definitely running a fever, but she was going to let him sleep for a bit before she woke him. Rest was something he would definitely need to get over this. Going back into the kitchen, she started making some tea, deciding that once it was done, she would wake Tyler and make him take something.

Oliver groaned from his chair, looking out over Metropolis. He'd just finished his second meeting of the day and had thought he was going to get a little time alone. Then his office door had opened yet again. Thinking it was Cheryl coming in to talk to him about something, he didn't turn around. "Can you give me a few minutes Cheryl?"

The deep chuckle had him turning his chair around even as his lover spoke. "I would, but I'm not Cheryl." Clark held up a bag. "Figured you hadn't had time to eat yet, so I brought you some lunch."

"Thanks Clark, and you're right, I haven't eaten. Just finished my second meeting about ten minutes ago." He got up and went over to the brunette.

"Well then, looks like I came at a good time."

Slipping his arms around the younger man's waist, Ollie grinned. "I'd say you got here at a great time." He kissed him softly. "Come on, let's eat upstairs so I can get out of here for a bit." Taking Clark's hand, he led him over to the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. "Heard from your mom?"

"No, but she'll probably let him sleep for a while. He'll be okay Ollie, just relax." The brunette chuckled softly. "Besides, having Tyler there will give her the chance to level out her mothering instincts a bit before Thanksgiving." He grew a bit somber, but didn't say anything.

Catching the change, the blonde laid a hand on his lover's cheek. "What's wrong handsome?"

"It's stupid."

"If it's upsetting you, then it's not stupid. Talk to me love."

Sighing, Clark looked into the brown eyes of his boyfriend. "This is the first Thanksgiving we're going to have without my dad."

"Oh Clark." Oliver pulled him out of the elevator and held him close once they reached the penthouse. He rubbed soothing circles across the strong back, remembering what his own first set of holidays had been like without his parents. If he hadn't had Tyler there, even as a kid, they probably would have been a lot harder to deal with. "I won't tell you everything's going to be okay, but it will get better with time. May not seem like it now, but it will. The only thing that you can do is remember the good times and carry on with some of the traditions that he gave you."

"I know and I'm glad that you and Tyler are going to be there. Think that'll make everything a whole lot easier to deal with." He sighed and stepped back a bit. "You need to eat."

"Only if you join me."

Clark grinned at him. "Kinda figured you might say that." Making his way over to the breakfast bar, he laid out the contents of the bag that he'd brought from a deli down the street that was quickly becoming one of their favorites. Together, they sat down to eat, enjoying each other's company.

Tyler opened his eyes slowly when he felt the gentle pressure on his arm. Looking up, he saw Mrs. Kent smiling down at him.

"How are you feeling?" She reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair out of his face and letting her hand linger for a moment on his forehead.

"Little better, but still kinda tired."

"Well, I've let you sleep most of the afternoon, but you need to try and eat something before you go back to sleep."

He looked around and realized that it really was late in the afternoon. "Guess I was a bit more tired than I thought."

"Being sick, sometimes happens." Carefully, she placed the tray she'd brought with her over his lap as he sat up against the arm of the couch. "Figured more broth than anything else right now until we know how your stomach's going to handle it."

"Thanks Mrs. Kent."

"It's Martha, Tyler. Just like I told your brother. You might not be dating my son, but I can tell that he sees you as a little brother."

Grinning, he cocked his head a bit. "Shouldn't I call you mom then?"

Reaching out a hand, she gently cupped his cheek. "If you want to, yes, you can, but that's up to you. I'm happy with you calling me Martha."

He blushed hard. "Might be a bit hard for me to do that. Years of training, you know?"

"I know, but I want you to at least try, okay?"

Nodding, he started in on the soup she'd brought him, taking slow and letting it ease down his throat while he thought about what had been said. It had been a long time since he'd had a strong older female presence in his life. Rosalyn was great, and had some mothering instincts, but it wasn't the same. There was just something about Clark's mom that screamed at him to let her take care of him. And for once, he wasn't going to fight it.

Martha watched the young man as he ate and wondered what he would have been like if he'd grown up with a mother. She could already tell that he was comfortable with himself, but not so much with others, almost as if he was afraid he'd let them down. It was almost as if he knew that he could help people, but was unsure of how to go about it. She could tell from how Clark and Oliver acted around him that he knew about their secrets, but she couldn't help but wonder if he had one of his own.

When he finished what he could, Tyler sat back a bit more. "That was good, thank you."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I like cooking for someone besides myself." She handed him two Tylenol. "Why don't you take these and try to get some more sleep?"

He nodding, taking the pills from her and downing them with some juice. "Thanks again for letting me stay here. Beats laying around the penthouse all day."

"It's not a problem and you're more than welcome." Standing up, she paused for a second before kissing his cheek slightly. "Get some rest." Then she picked up his tray and carried it into the kitchen, not noticing the look of shock on his face or the tears that seemed to spring up in his eyes.

For three days, Tyler spent most of his time asleep on the couch, eating when Martha woke him and taking whatever meds she handed him. It wasn't until his fourth day there that he actually had enough energy to get up and do something. So when Martha came downstairs that morning, she was rather surprised to find that breakfast had already been made.

Stopping in the kitchen, she took a good look at the young man at the stove. She could tell that he'd already taken a shower and was actually wearing jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt instead of sweats. He was still a little pale, but for the most part he looked better than she had seen him so far. Smiling softly, she walked over to him, but stopped short of actually touching him. "You've been busy."

He turned to her, grinning, then blushed. "Figured it was the least I could do after hogging your couch for the past few days. Just don't let Ollie know that I can actually cook."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Any particular reason why you don't want him to know?"

"Other than I'd never live it down? Not really. I mean, he can cook, but doesn't really like to do it. On the other hand, I kinda like cooking, but not if I'm the only one eating it."

"How about you help me with Thanksgiving dinner?"

Putting a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs and toast in front of her, he paused for a moment. "I'm not so sure you want me to do that." He set the plate down and turned back to pour a couple glasses of juice.

"I won't let you mess anything up. Besides, it'll be that much less work for me."

For a few minutes, he said nothing as he set the glass in front of her and then started in on his own plate. Then, he slowly nodded. "All right, but I'm not doing the turkey."

She laughed softly and started to eat, watching the young man in front of her. Now that he was feeling better, she was going to have a talk with him.

"Tyler, why did you run off like you did?"

While he might have been expecting the question to eventually come up, Tyler still wasn't sure how he was going to answer it. For several minutes he said nothing before he realized that anything less than the truth would be an insult to Martha. Looking at her, he sighed. "You have to promise me that you won't tell Clark some of what I'm going to tell you. Ollie already knows because of what he does and who some of his associates are and I'm trying to get him to tell Clark, but the time isn't right just yet for him to do so."

Martha frowned. She didn't like keeping things from her son, but for some reason she knew that this time, it needed to be done. If for no other reason than to get the young man in front of her to open up a bit and hopefully remove some of the guilt he was so obviously carrying.

"All right, but know this. If Ollie hasn't told Clark in six months, I will tell him. Deal?"

Tyler nodded. "Deal." Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly before he started talking.

"You already know that Ollie is the Green Arrow. What you don't know, well, there's a lot that can be put in that category, but the most important things are that I'm bisexual and in a relationship with someone. That someone happens to be a person with abilities that Clark has met before, even helped, and is now working with Ollie on some side projects. I don't even know what all they are, so it's not like I'm trying to be vague about it."

He paused to take a drink before continuing. "His name is Bart Allen and we've been seeing each other for about 8 months. When Ollie and I got into our fight last week, Bart is the one that I went to stay with. We met after I helped Bart out of a jam when I was doing a bit of night work well out of Ollie's path."

"So you're following in your brother's footsteps with that?"

"Trying to, it's what our fight was about." He played with his glass for a moment. "When Ollie was stranded on that island, I never thought I'd see him again. Even though I refused to have him declared dead, despite what everyone else wanted me to do, I thought that he might be, but I couldn't let go of that thin thread of hope that he was alive. Some days, it's all that kept me going. When I was 15, he started making me spend some time at Queen Industries, reading stock portfolios on prospective companies we might buy out or merge with, and getting familiar with how things ran. I knew, eventually, that I'd end up helping him run the business or taking over the Foundation. Just didn't expect to do it when I was 17."

Martha frowned. She had known that Oliver had left Tyler in charge of the company while he was gone, but she didn't realize how young he had been when it happened. It showed the amount of faith that the two brothers had in one another.

"It was so hard to be there each day, fighting to keep the company going strong, struggling to maintain some sort of hold on myself and not give in to the feelings that hit every time I realized that he wasn't there to back me up about a decision I made. More times than not, I cried myself to sleep for almost a year. After that, I just kind of existed. Before he came back, I felt so broken inside. Like a piece of me had been torn out and a gaping hole remained." He looked over at her. "He told me the other night, when he and Clark found me, that he even saw that I looked broken."

She laid a hand on top of his and gave it reassuring squeeze, but didn't say anything, knowing that he would continue at his own pace.

"And ever since he came back, he's been trying to tell me what to do, control certain parts of my life." He sighed. "I know that I should be grateful, but I don't want a father figure. What I need, what I want is my brother. The one that supported me all through school with phone calls and letters, then emails and being there for me during breaks. The brother that told me that it didn't matter if I liked guys, girls, both or neither that he'd still love me. I want him to let me watch his back and know that he has mine in everything we do." He looked at Martha, tears brimming in his eyes. "Just want to know that I matter to him as something more than an object to be kept."

Martha got up and made her way over to the young man, pulling him into a hug as he gave way to the emotions that were slowly overwhelming him. While a few things he'd said had definitely been a shock to her, she was more than willing to help him get things settled with his brother. At the moment though, the younger Queen just needed someone to be there for him and she had a good idea now of who that could be.

After getting Tyler settled down and resting once again on the couch, Martha made her way upstairs with the phone and called her son. While waiting for him to pick up, she could only hope that this little plan of hers didn't go the wrong way.

Clark groaned softly as he released Oliver and rolled over, picking his phone up from the table where it rested. Seeing the name on the display, he sat up quickly. "Mom? Is everything okay? Is something wrong with Tyler?"

Oliver, hearing his brother's name and who his lover was speaking to, sat up as well, staring at his lover.

"Tyler is just fine Clark. In fact he was actually up and about before me this morning, so I think he's definitely on the way to feeling better."

"That's good." He ran a hand through his hair. "Wasn't expecting you to call and something being wrong with him was the first thing that popped into my head. I'm glad he's starting to feel better." The brunette watched as Ollie's shoulders slumped in relief. "So, um, why did you call mom?"

"I called because I want you to stay in Metropolis with Oliver for a few days. At least until Monday. Except for feeding the stock, there's not a lot to do right now. So take the time and enjoy yourself. In the mean time, Tyler and I are going to finish getting to know each other a little better, but I want him to relax. I don't think he's going to do that if he keeps expecting you to drop in suddenly each day."

Clark sighed, but a small grin settled on his face. "You know he's a little too old to adopt, mom."

"That may be, but he still needs someone to mother him a bit that's not Oliver. I love you Clark, and I'm glad that you're happy with Oliver. Oliver's like another son to me as well, but right now Tyler is the one that needs someone apart from your world. I might know both of your secrets, but I'm not as involved. For a couple of days, I want to just give him a normal, simple life."

"Ollie might have a problem with that, but I'll ask him."

"Let me talk to him Clark."

Clark handed the phone to the blonde, who was watching him puzzled. "It's mom."

Oliver took the phone, frowning. "Martha? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine Oliver." She sighed. "I've asked Clark to not come out to the farm until at least Monday. I'd like for you to stay away until then as well. It's nothing bad, I promise you, but right now your brother needs to realize that there are other people out there that care about him as much as you do."

He snorted. "Right now he doesn't have that high of an opinion of how much I care about him."

"I know, we've talked once already. That's part of the reason why I'm calling to ask this. For a few days at least, I want him to have a simple life Oliver. He's starting to feel better and is up moving around on his own again. I figure day after tomorrow and he's going to want to start getting out and doing stuff. When that time comes, I'm going to let him push himself as hard as he wants to because he has some things he needs to prove to himself."

"There's nothing he has to prove to anyone. I keep trying to get him to understand that."

"Yes, but Oliver, you're coming at it from the wrong direction of how he needs you to come at it. He said that since you've come back from the island, that you've treated him more like a parent would than as a brother. Right now, he really needs you as a brother Oliver. Letting him push himself will help him find his limits. It'll also open the door for you to be able to step in and soothe his aches as a brother, not a parent or authority figure, when you come out for Thanksgiving dinner."

The billionaire was silent for several minutes, realizing that she was right on several points. "All right. Tell Tyler that I'll see him for Thanksgiving and I'll keep Clark here with me until at least Monday."

"Thank you Oliver. I know that you're trusting me with a lot, but despite what Clark says, Tyler needs a mother figure right now, even if I do have to adopt him."

Oliver chuckled softly. "He might not object to that after he tastes your apple pie." He sighed. "Thanks again for taking care of him for me Martha."

"It's a pleasure Oliver. Now, I'll let you go. Tell my son I love him and will call if there are any problems."

"I will, good-bye." He hung up and looked at Clark, poking him in the chest with the phone. "You said she'd mother hen him, not try to adopt him."

Clark shrugged, laughing softly. "What can I say? She has a soft spot for strays."

"I'll remember that.." The blonde tossed the phone aside. "So what are we going to do with all of our free time over the weekend?"

"I can think of a few things."

"Mmmm, I bet you can handsome. How about we go out tonight? There's a really great restaurant that I want to take you to, but it'll require you wearing a suit. Maybe that lovely gray one with the burgundy shirt underneath it."

Reaching over, Clark pulled his lover into a deep kiss as he moved to straddle the older man. "Sounds like a plan for later." He ground his ass against the man beneath him, feeling the response from his manhood. "For the moment, I've got another plan in mind." Grinning wickedly, he slid down his lover's body, nipping, licking and kissing as he went, until he reached the straining erection that waited for him. Locking eyes with the blonde, he reached his tongue out, flicking the slit and eliciting a moan of pleasure from his boyfriend.

"Oh yes, definitely other plans for right now." Green eyes locked with brown as the brunette devoured the cock in front of him.

"Sweet jesus!" Oliver's last coherent thoughts before he gave into the pleasure he was receiving was that at least Tyler was going to be getting some rest and attention from someone he trusted. All other thoughts fled as Clark slid a finger inside of him, causing him to buck his hips up into the hot cavern that held him. He could definitely get used to this.

~~~~ The End~~~~

****I know, I know. I'm evil to end it there, but next up is the "Rage" re-write I've been promising called Collera Rifatta. It should be up today or tomorrow. Hope you've all enjoyed the first in the AQD series and request your continued presence as this AU continues it's journey.****


End file.
